The Airline Pilots’ Guild of Sri Lanka has accused the Chairman of SriLankan Airlines of contradicting his own written statement during an interview with Ada Derana, after having written to all employees of the possibility of the company’s closure.

The ALPGSL has written a letter to the SriLankan Chairman Ajith Dias after the latter made a statement to Ada Derana in response to the scathing statement issued by the Alliance of Unions of SriLankan Airlines last week against the Chairman, CEO and Board of Directors of the national carrier. 

“Having written to all employees of the possibility of closure of the company, you subsequently proceeded to contradict your own written statement by saying ‘we are not going to close this Airline’, during an interview with Ada Derana in response to the media attention that was attracted due to the content of your own communiqué.” 

“Such statements and contradictions by you as the Chairman of the Board of Directors only serves to further justify the contents of the letter jointly sent by the unions of the Airline,” the ALPGSL says.

The union said that its stance of no confidence in the current Board is also further substantiated by the significant defamation and commercial damages caused to the Airline, because of his statements. 

It said that by the chairman’s first communiqué, he has not only given notice to the employees of a closure, but also notice to loyal passengers that Srilankan may no longer exist after March. 

“Given the significance of the damage done by your errant statements; passengers, service providers and employee confidence in the existence of our Airline, can only be rebuilt and fortified by a clear stance stated by a representative of the Government.” 

The Airline Pilots’ Guild also stressed that it remains an independent body, with no political affiliations and that at no point have they objected to any restructuring process of SriLankan Airline.