“Mihin Lanka is a disaster of historic proportions siphoning off a colossal amount of money from Treasury on a yearly basis. It serves no purpose and it doesn’t make any sense for the government to run a loss making budget airline at the expense of tax payers’ money. Instead of linking it with Mattala International Airport, it should be shut down with immediate effect,” the Parliamentarian said.

“Mattala International Airport on the other hand is another white elephant. Flights hardly come to Mattala unless they are forced to do so. It has become a huge burden on the country and its economy. It is in that context that the government has launched a Rs. 100 million expansion project for the so called Mattala Airport,” Dr. de Silva added.

The merger, according to him, is a justification for the Rs. 100 million expansion project for Mattala Airport. “What will happen when you merge two white elephants? You will get nothing but white elephant offspring,” the Parliamentarian quipped.

Aviation Minister, speaking to Sri Lankan media on Sunday, had pointed out that the objective of this exercise was to “make Mihin Lanka a viable entity so that it will have ways of generating income.”

“With this move,” Minister Jayaratne had said, “ It will be able to enter into agreements with different airlines through this system,” The minister had also stated that a separate Board of Directors would be appointed for Mihin Lanka under the same Chairman of SriLankan Airlines.