A sum of Rs. 20,000 million has been allocated in the 2025 budget to pay off SriLankan Airlines’ existing debt and interest alone.
“SriLankan Airlines provides a leading service in transporting passengers and cargo. Furthermore, the previous governments’ attempts to remove state ownership and attract private investment also failed.
Accordingly, the government is to sign an agreement with the banks and spend Rs. 10,000 million to repay the debt and Rs. 10,000 million to pay interest in 2025. Once the government covers this long-standing debt service cost, the airline will take full responsibility for ensuring operational profitability. For this, the company is preparing a new medium-term strategic plan. Accordingly, we propose to allocate Rs. 20,000 million for this.”
However, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that the treasury will not provide funds for the daily operations of SriLankan Airlines.