Mihin to stop, Sri Lankan wide-body aircrafts on its way

As Sri Lankan budget airline – Mihin Lanka – readies to stop its operations, wide-body aircrafts by Sri Lankan Airlines are being prepared so as to lessen the impact travel between Sri Lanka and Maldives.

Sri Lankan government, in face of mounting loss, decided to dissolve Mihin Lanka and consolidate its employees, assets, and debts into Sri Lankan Airlines.

Mihin Lanka has daily flights between Sri Lanka and Maldives, but plans to stop its entire operation on October 30.

Sri Lankan Airlines will be providing services to all destinations covered by Mihin Lanka, so as to lessen the inconvenience to customers of Mihin Lanka.

In an exclusive interview to “Sun”, Country Manager of Sri Lankan Airlines to Maldives, Sujeewa Rodrigo said that Sri Lankan Airlines would not be increasing the number of flights between the two countries, but would be increasing capacity by bringing in its wide-body aircrafts.

"Mihin Lanka flights will not be there. We [Sri Lankan Airlines] are maintaining same schedule with additional capacity wherever required. We are upgrading aircrafts. For example, if we used to operate a particular flight with A320, depending on the demand, we will deploy a wide body aircraft. We are not putting any more additional flights. But we increase capacity wherever required," said Rodrigo.

In an interview to Sri Lankan newspaper, Sunday Times this week, CEO of Sri Lankan Airlines, Suren Ratwatte said that Sri Lankan was not just the national airline of the people of Sri Lanka, but of the people of Maldives as well.

Ratwatte said that Sri Lankan was the airline most used by Maldivians, noting that Maldives and Chennai, India were the airline’s biggest markets.

Sri Lankan is also set to start direct flights between Addu City and Colombo, coming December.