May 21, Colombo (LNW): President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed the formation of a special committee under the Presidential Secretariat to investigate longstanding allegations of corruption and mismanagement at SriLankan Airlines.
The directive comes amid renewed efforts to salvage the financially troubled national carrier without further dependence on state funds.
The decision was announced following an extensive four-hour meeting held on Monday at the Presidential Secretariat, which included the airline’s Board of Directors and representatives from all affiliated trade unions.
According to a statement from the President’s Media Division (PMD), the meeting was convened to forge a path toward sustainable reform under continued government ownership.
During the discussions, President Dissanayake stressed the urgency of institutional accountability and financial self-reliance, ruling out any future financial bailouts from the General Treasury.
“We cannot continue to fund inefficiency,” the President reportedly told attendees, highlighting that the national carrier must now stand on its own through improved management and internal discipline.
He further insisted that the national airline must be rebuilt through a collective effort, with all stakeholders — including employees and management — taking shared responsibility for its recovery.
The President underlined that this restructuring process is part of the government’s broader strategy to pull the country out of its economic crisis, noting that difficult sacrifices must be made across the board.
The meeting also focused on the implementation of a newly developed business plan aligned with the government’s policy to retain SriLankan Airlines as a state-owned entity.
The plan reportedly centres on operational efficiency, restructuring debt, cutting non-essential expenditure, and revitalising revenue streams such as cargo and tourism-related partnerships.
In a significant show of consensus, representatives from the airline’s major trade unions — including pilots, engineers, technicians, executives, and general staff — expressed their willingness to support the government’s vision.
They affirmed their readiness to work collaboratively toward restoring the airline’s financial health, with some suggesting the establishment of performance-based incentives as a way to motivate internal reform.
SriLankan Airlines has been operating at a loss for several years, weighed down by mounting debt, alleged procurement scandals, and successive failed privatisation attempts.
Calls for transparency intensified after previous reports hinted at irregularities in leasing arrangements, aircraft maintenance contracts, and recruitment practices.
The new investigative committee, expected to be announced in the coming days, will reportedly be tasked with auditing past financial decisions, identifying irregular procurement deals, and recommending actionable measures to hold those responsible to account.
The committee’s findings are likely to carry significant political and legal implications as the administration seeks to demonstrate its commitment to good governance.
Present at the meeting were SriLankan Airlines Chairman Sarath Ganegoda, board members, and representatives from the SriLankan Pilots’ Association, Licensed Aircraft Engineers’ Association, Airline Employees’ Association, SriLankan Airlines Technicians’ Association, Freelance Employees’ Association, Executives’ Association, and the Inter-Company Employees’ Association.
