Colombo (LNW): On the sidelines of the government’s dialogue of privatising loss-incurring state bodies, SriLankan Airlines has once again been dragged into the centre of attention due to what concerned travellers claimed as having ample evidence for the reasons behind the National Carrier being a loss incurring body.
A source on the condition of anonymity told LNW that the flight (UL 455) of SriLankan Airlines from Narita, Japan to Colombo a day ago (April 08, 2023) got delayed for three hours, an announcement that was made only in the last minute.
Below is the statement produced to LNW by a concerned traveller on the experience:
Usually Late Sri Lankan Airlines (UL 455 from Narita)
We have ample evidences for the reasons of Loss making National Carrier.
Very recently on the 8th of April we experienced one of them regarding the flight from Narita Japan to Colombo.
Passengers were at Narita Airport to board the Flight UL 455 scheduled to takeoff at 11.35 am.
It was only at the Airport they were informed that this particular flight will be delayed until 2.30 pm (by 3 hours). At that time there were foreigners who had booked this flight expecting to catch connecting flights from Colombo. They were furious and it was heard that they would not travel Sri Lankan again but would not recommend to any body to fly Our national Carrier.
Japanese staff at Checking in Counters were seen apologising on behalf of Sri Lankan Airlines for the delay. To Compensate this each passenger was give a 1,200 Yen voucher to have Meals & drinks from the Airport Cafes. (Imagine the unnecessary monetary loss).
The flight came, delayed by another one hour to turnaround before allowing passengers in. Flight resumed around 2.40 pm.
However I must say the in-flight service were excellent led by two able stewards namely Buddhi & Shehan.
They were seen chatting and serving plenty of alcohol to please the passengers as a damage control effort. Even the two meals served was excellent (prepared in Japan) compared to Horrible meals served in the Colombo Narita sector. The Cabin Crew was out of this world again compared to the Crew mainly ladies who were very rude with an attitude on the coming trip (UL 454) only good thing was the Captain Embuldeniya had landed in Narita 40 Minutes earlier than the scheduled time.
It is high time that Directors / Senior Administration Managers must pull up their socks to turnaround our National Carrier, to work towards profits from the present situation of being a burden to the Tax payers of our Country. Even to sell it, no proper Airline would look at that with the present inefficiencies, Nepotism and with politically connected job appointments etc.
We may have to wean them out as a priority to get in to the past glory of Air Ceylon & Air Lanka time.
