6:44 AM

Mihin Will Re-born

Mihin Lanka is expected to operate once again with an infusion of US dollars 400 million. The resurrection is to save President Mahinda Rajapaksa any embarrassment, as the budget airline was his idea, a top government source said.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is expected to appoint Maga Naguma Company Chairman Jaliya Kulasekara as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mihin Lanka, political sources said.

The President had called Kulasekara and asked him to takeover as the CEO, as Sajin Vaas Gunawardana had been a miserable failure and could not keep Mihin flying. The President had asked Kulasekara to provide US $ 200 million and had said that he would find another US$ 200 million to revive the airline which does not fly anymore.

Kulasekara, it is reliably learnt, had flown to Dubai with a team of officials to look into the possibility of hiring three aircraft as an initial measure to get the airline up and running, sources said.
Meanwhile, President Raj-apaksa had requested Kula-sekara to pick airline professionals to the Director Board, and had said that the earlier board was incompetent because it was comprised of rank amateurs in the airline business ..

They had only been enjoying the perks and had made no contribution whatsoever towards the airline, he had said. It is reliably understood that Kulasekara had requested the President that that he would undertake the post only on condition that there is no political interference from any quarter, so that he could make Mihin a profitable venture on the lines of the Maga Naguma Company. When Mihin Lanka collapsed , it recorded losses of over Rs.3 billion and owed Rs.850 million to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation for fuel supplies.
Companies that leased flights to Mihin Lanka had also recalled all the flights as Mihin Lanka had failed to settle payments.

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