Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva denied that the Ministry is to invest in a budget airline as was reported recently, The Morning Business learnt. Instead, he explained, the Ministry looks forward to welcoming budget airlines to operate in the country as the prices are “very low”, and it would encourage and increase the number of arrivals to the country.
Speaking to The Morning Business, the Minister stated: “We are not going to invest; we are calling for budget airlines to come and operate here.”
Responding to the inquiry made by The Morning Business on the nature of the investment by the Ministry in launching the budget airline in the country, de Silva said that FitsAir is already operating and the Ministry hopes to attract budget airlines that are similar to the operations of FitsAir.
The Minister further said: “We will provide some concessions to those willing to operate budget airlines.
“Now FitsAir has already started (operations). They are going to Dubai, Singapore, and several other destinations.”
Speaking at the celebration of the 78th International Aviation Day, de Silva pointed out that a number of countries have commenced safe, low-cost air travel services for the general public, and that Sri Lanka must also prepare a similar work plan.
Meanwhile, employment opportunities can be generated in the field of aviation and contribute to the country’s means of foreign exchange inflows, noting that the guarantee has been received and that its civil aviation service is working in line with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
FitsAir (formerly known as ExpoAir), is Sri Lanka’s first and only private airline to be licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority Sri Lanka (CAASL) to conduct international cargo operations and is the only airline apart from SriLanka Airlines, the national carrier, to have ground handling operations at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA). It has been operating in Sri Lanka since 1997.
