‘Mihin Lanka’ airlines that gobbled Rs.5930 million within a period of five years incurred a loss of Rs.6816 within the same period. This is revealed in an answer by the Minister of Civil Aviation Priyankara Jayaratna to a question posed by the Leader of the group of JVP Parliamentarians Anura Dissanayake in Parliament yesterday (9th).
Another Rs.1700 million has been allocated this year to this company that incurred such a large loss.
The airline begun on an arbitrary decision of President Mahinda Rajapakse in 2006 has been allocated large amounts of money every year. In 2006 it was allocated Rs.250 million, in 2007 Rs.500 million, in 2008 Rs.1300 million, in 2009 Rs.1221 million and in 2010 Rs.938 million.
As a result of a financial crisis ‘Mihin Lanka’ was closed down in 2008. However, in spite of public outcry against it, the airline was revived spending Rs.3000 million. Despite flying Buddhist pilgrims to ‘Dambadiva’ as its principal business target, the airline incurred heavy losses.
Now, to wriggle out of the situation and to burden ‘Srilankan Airlines’ with the Rs.5980 million loss an attempt is being made to affiliate ‘Mihin Lanka’ with ‘Srilankan.’