COLOMBO – New Sri Lankan budget carrier Mihin Lanka, which was forced to halt operations last month because of heavy losses, is determined to fly again.
The Sunday Times said Mihin is seeking fresh funding from the government to restart operations with two ageing Airbus A320s.
According to “informed aviation sources”, the carrier is busy trying to recruit pilots, engineers and other relevant technical staff to fly two old aircraft that it plans to take on dry lease.
Sources warned that at a time when even established airlines like the national carrier SriLankan were finding it difficult to retain specialised staff like pilots and engineers, it was questionable why Mihin wanted to bring down two ageing aircraft from Europe without having recruited a single specialist personnel.
Mihin placed an advertisement in a Sri Lankan newspaper last week calling for experienced aircraft captains, first officers and maintenance engineers.
Mihin Lanka has informed the government that the two A320 aircraft under negotiation bear serial numbers MSN 87 and MSN 88 and had first flown on August 8, 1989 and November 21, 1989.
They were initially owned by Royal Jordanian and later both were sold to LTE Airlines of Spain.
The Sunday Times said there was a fear that by bringing in two ageing aircraft in violation of Civil Aviation Authority restrictions on registering aircraft that were more than 15 years old, Sri Lanka was risking its enviable safety record.
