SriLankan wants Emirates deal extended
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SriLankan wants Emirates deal extended
From today's Daily News, the pro-government English daily in Sri Lanka :
SriLankan Airlines hopes a 10-year management agreement with Emirates airline will be extended as the Dubai company's backing is essential for fleet modernisation and expansion plans, its CEO said.
Chief Executive Peter Hill said the Sri Lankan Government would hold talks with Emirates this month to discuss whether they want to renew the deal that ends in March 2008.
SriLankan Airlines is in talks with Boeing and Airbus to replace aircraft and it would be easier to strike a deal with the support of Emirates, one of the world's fastest growing airlines, he said.
"I'm fairly positive that they would want to extend that management contract. There's no doubt about it if we were to maintain the existing Emirates relationship, then acquisition of new aircraft will be a lot more affordable because of the prices they (Emirates) are able to negotiate."
"That's why you can see how critical it is to get that decision and time is quite frankly running out. New aircraft don't come off the shelf every five minutes," Hill told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday. The Sri Lankan Government owns 51 per cent of the airline while Emirates has a 43.6 per cent stake.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Dubai travel conference, Hill said the airline was in talks with Boeing and Airbus to replace some aircraft, adding that a decision is likely to be made in the next 6-12 months to replace Airbus A340s and A320s planes.
"We need a replacement long-haul aircraft. Now, whether that's the Airbus A340-600 or the whether it's the 777-200 or 300, those are the aircraft, those are the choices and it'll be up to us to get the best deal."
SriLankan Airlines hopes a 10-year management agreement with Emirates airline will be extended as the Dubai company's backing is essential for fleet modernisation and expansion plans, its CEO said.
Chief Executive Peter Hill said the Sri Lankan Government would hold talks with Emirates this month to discuss whether they want to renew the deal that ends in March 2008.
SriLankan Airlines is in talks with Boeing and Airbus to replace aircraft and it would be easier to strike a deal with the support of Emirates, one of the world's fastest growing airlines, he said.
"I'm fairly positive that they would want to extend that management contract. There's no doubt about it if we were to maintain the existing Emirates relationship, then acquisition of new aircraft will be a lot more affordable because of the prices they (Emirates) are able to negotiate."
"That's why you can see how critical it is to get that decision and time is quite frankly running out. New aircraft don't come off the shelf every five minutes," Hill told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday. The Sri Lankan Government owns 51 per cent of the airline while Emirates has a 43.6 per cent stake.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Dubai travel conference, Hill said the airline was in talks with Boeing and Airbus to replace some aircraft, adding that a decision is likely to be made in the next 6-12 months to replace Airbus A340s and A320s planes.
"We need a replacement long-haul aircraft. Now, whether that's the Airbus A340-600 or the whether it's the 777-200 or 300, those are the aircraft, those are the choices and it'll be up to us to get the best deal."
