Some positive news from Sri Lanka
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Looks like they're getting close to a deal
Looks like they're getting close to a deal
From Reuters
Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNewsAndPR/idUSL0749788220070907
Emirates seeks to expand, upgrade SriLankan fleet
Fri Sep 7, 2007 1:41PM EDT
DUBAI, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Emirates airline [EMAIR.UL] expects to renew its contract to manage flag-carrier SriLankan Airlines for at least another five years and aims to as much as double its fleet to 30, Emirates' president said on Friday.
Emirates, which owns 43 percent of SriLankan, will meet officials of the South Asian island state next month to secure "the basis of an agreement" to renew its 10-year contract which expires in March, Tim Clark told reporters.
"It hasn't been an easy operation," Clark said. Sri Lanka's 2003 ceasefire in its civil war broke down last year.
The new contract could be for five years, extendable for another five, Clark said.
Within five years, Emirates would seek to expand SriLankan's fleet of 14 to between 25 and 30, replacing its aging fleet of single-aisle Airbus A320s (EAD.PA) with the larger A321s, and seek to fly to more destinations in India, Clark said. "The A340s are also getting long in the tooth."
Dubai-based Emirates hopes to reach final agreement on the management contract before the end of the year, leaving the size of its stake in SriLankan unchanged, Clark said.
Guess I'd better renew my contract then
Looks like they're getting close to a deal
From Reuters
Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNewsAndPR/idUSL0749788220070907
Emirates seeks to expand, upgrade SriLankan fleet
Fri Sep 7, 2007 1:41PM EDT
DUBAI, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Emirates airline [EMAIR.UL] expects to renew its contract to manage flag-carrier SriLankan Airlines for at least another five years and aims to as much as double its fleet to 30, Emirates' president said on Friday.
Emirates, which owns 43 percent of SriLankan, will meet officials of the South Asian island state next month to secure "the basis of an agreement" to renew its 10-year contract which expires in March, Tim Clark told reporters.
"It hasn't been an easy operation," Clark said. Sri Lanka's 2003 ceasefire in its civil war broke down last year.
The new contract could be for five years, extendable for another five, Clark said.
Within five years, Emirates would seek to expand SriLankan's fleet of 14 to between 25 and 30, replacing its aging fleet of single-aisle Airbus A320s (EAD.PA) with the larger A321s, and seek to fly to more destinations in India, Clark said. "The A340s are also getting long in the tooth."
Dubai-based Emirates hopes to reach final agreement on the management contract before the end of the year, leaving the size of its stake in SriLankan unchanged, Clark said.
Guess I'd better renew my contract then
19 of 77
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Trouble in Paradise
Trouble in Paradise
From the BBC website
Link http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7175527.stm
Emirates to end Lanka partnership
By Sanjay Dasgupta
BBC News
Emirates Airlines has announced that it will not renew its management contract with Sri Lanka's national carrier after March this year.
Emirates owns a 43% stake in Sri Lankan Airlines and runs it under an agreement with the Sri Lankan government.
The pull-out announcement follows a row over ticketing between the chief executive of Sri Lankan Airlines and the Sri Lankan government in December.
Relations between the two soured significantly following the incident.
In December Peter Hill was appointed chief executive of Sri Lankan Airlines by Emirates to run to run Sri Lanka's national carrier.
Soon after his appointment, he refused a request from the Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, for 35 tickets on a flight from London to Colombo.
The president needed to travel at short notice with 35 other passengers
The president, who was in London for a private visit, was rushing home in order to be able to attend a crucial session of Parliament.
But Mr Hill refused the request as the flight was over-booked. Shortly afterwards, Mr Hill's working visa and residence permit were withdrawn by the Sri Lankan authorities.
Talking to the BBC, Mr Hill said the incident "had some bearing" on Emirates' decision not to renew its contract.
"Basically the flights had been full for several months and we weren't able to accommodate that number of people - we were talking about 35 seats here.
"And so we asked them if there was a possibility that only the president and his close relatives could travel, and we probably would have been able to accommodate them with three or four seats.
Personally I feel that after 10 years of putting the airline on the right road to success and profitability, it was a disappointing end.
"But obviously we weren't able or prepared to offload 35 previously booked customers, basically taking the whole of our premium cabin and 17 seats in economy, at that short notice.
"That's not the way that commercial airlines run their businesses, and we're a commercial airline."
Mr Hill said soon afterwards his work permit and the residents permit were withdrawn.
The original contract between Emirates and Sri Lankan Airlines had been in operation for 10 years, and would have come up for renewal in April.
Mr Hill said Emirates had made a set of proposals for renewing the contract more than 18 months ago, but had heard nothing from the Sri Lankan authorities.
While Emirates and Sri Lankan Airlines insist their parting has been amicable, Mr Hill said that it would nevertheless send the wrong signal to international investors.
"Personally I feel that after 10 years of putting the airline on the right road to success and profitability, it was a disappointing end," he said.
"But the message it sends out to the international community, I think, is not a good one."
For its part Sri Lankan Airlines says it will have to put together a plan to continue running its operations from April, which it says it is capable of doing.
Looks like an interesting year ahead - good thing there are plenty of jobs.
Trouble in Paradise
From the BBC website
Link http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7175527.stm
Emirates to end Lanka partnership
By Sanjay Dasgupta
BBC News
Emirates Airlines has announced that it will not renew its management contract with Sri Lanka's national carrier after March this year.
Emirates owns a 43% stake in Sri Lankan Airlines and runs it under an agreement with the Sri Lankan government.
The pull-out announcement follows a row over ticketing between the chief executive of Sri Lankan Airlines and the Sri Lankan government in December.
Relations between the two soured significantly following the incident.
In December Peter Hill was appointed chief executive of Sri Lankan Airlines by Emirates to run to run Sri Lanka's national carrier.
Soon after his appointment, he refused a request from the Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, for 35 tickets on a flight from London to Colombo.
The president needed to travel at short notice with 35 other passengers
The president, who was in London for a private visit, was rushing home in order to be able to attend a crucial session of Parliament.
But Mr Hill refused the request as the flight was over-booked. Shortly afterwards, Mr Hill's working visa and residence permit were withdrawn by the Sri Lankan authorities.
Talking to the BBC, Mr Hill said the incident "had some bearing" on Emirates' decision not to renew its contract.
"Basically the flights had been full for several months and we weren't able to accommodate that number of people - we were talking about 35 seats here.
"And so we asked them if there was a possibility that only the president and his close relatives could travel, and we probably would have been able to accommodate them with three or four seats.
Personally I feel that after 10 years of putting the airline on the right road to success and profitability, it was a disappointing end.
"But obviously we weren't able or prepared to offload 35 previously booked customers, basically taking the whole of our premium cabin and 17 seats in economy, at that short notice.
"That's not the way that commercial airlines run their businesses, and we're a commercial airline."
Mr Hill said soon afterwards his work permit and the residents permit were withdrawn.
The original contract between Emirates and Sri Lankan Airlines had been in operation for 10 years, and would have come up for renewal in April.
Mr Hill said Emirates had made a set of proposals for renewing the contract more than 18 months ago, but had heard nothing from the Sri Lankan authorities.
While Emirates and Sri Lankan Airlines insist their parting has been amicable, Mr Hill said that it would nevertheless send the wrong signal to international investors.
"Personally I feel that after 10 years of putting the airline on the right road to success and profitability, it was a disappointing end," he said.
"But the message it sends out to the international community, I think, is not a good one."
For its part Sri Lankan Airlines says it will have to put together a plan to continue running its operations from April, which it says it is capable of doing.
Looks like an interesting year ahead - good thing there are plenty of jobs.
M
Morning Glory
Guest
Interesting to see that a public pissing contest can take place that high up.
I guess we're all human in the end.
Too sad to see that a lot of people will suffer from some ego's clashing.
Good luck to all involved.
I guess we're all human in the end.
Too sad to see that a lot of people will suffer from some ego's clashing.
Good luck to all involved.