EMIRATES has stated that it is no longer interested in investing or managing another airline again, citing an unsuccessful partnership with SriLankan Airlines that concluded in 2008.
Since the 10-year management contract with Emirates ran out, SriLankan Airlines has accumulated losses totalling 145 billion Sri Lankan rupees (US$1billion).
But the national carrier is once again on the lookout for a partner. Quashing Emirates as a possible option, Matt Raos, vice president corporate sales at Emirates, said: “We don’t intend to go back down that road (either by investing in or managing other airlines).”
SriLankan Airlines, like many global aviation players, is faced with an increasingly difficult operating environment as competition rises and margins tighten. Recently, it announced plans to stop flying to Rome from May.
