DailyMirror
UNP National List MP Dr. Harsha de Silva requested the government in Parliament yesterday to close down the cash-strapped airline ‘Mihin Lanka’ or to merge it with the national carrier.
Dr. de Silva, during a debate, said that it was advisable for the government to close down such a loss making institution instead of curtailing allocations for the vital sectors such as health and education.
At this moment, UPFA MP A. H.M. Azwer noted that Mihin Lanka was gradually being stabilized as a company now.
“There was such a past for Mihin Lanka. Now, it is being stabilised. We have to talk about the present situation,” he said
However, Dr. de Silva replied “There is no need for a small country like Sri Lanka to have two airlines. Mihin Lanka had suffered a loss of Rs.993 million last year. It is continuously run at a loss. If you want, you can merge it with Srilankan Airlines,” he said.
Mihin Lanka went bankrupt a few months after its establishment in 2006. At that time, the total loss was Rs.3.5 billion.