SriLankan Airlines has begun implementing a five-year plan to restore the national carrier to profitability, officials told a parliamentary committee, News 1st reported on Nov 15.

The plan was disclosed at a meeting of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Infrastructure and Strategic Development, according to a statement from Parliament cited by the news outlet. The committee also examined the airline’s financial crisis, frequent flight delays, mounting debt, and delays in buying new aircraft.

The committee heard that the airline’s fleet of 23 aircraft, averaging around 12 years in age, was inadequate. Technical and operational problems with the ageing fleet have contributed to disruptions and delays, it was told. Because few replacement aircraft are available, a delay caused by a technical fault or another reason can have a knock-on effect across the whole network, the report said.

Members also examined the failure of conventional procurement processes previously used to acquire aircraft and the long delays they caused. Officials responded that a special set of procurement guidelines for aircraft and related equipment has been prepared and steps are being taken to gazette them, News 1st said.

Officials said the airline expects to add one narrow-body and two wide-body aircraft to its fleet by June. Raising the fleet to at least 29 aircraft by 2029 is one of the plan’s key targets, they said.

The committee instructed the relevant authorities to submit a comprehensive report to Parliament and the Ministry before November 30. The report is to outline the measures needed to bring the airline to a cost-recovery level within the next two to three years.

News 1st also cited the Finance Ministry’s Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report, which showed SriLankan Airlines made a loss of more than 35 billion rupees in the first three months of the 2026/2027 financial year.

Source: News 1st