Financial Times

Travel industry protests over dollar air tickets

“Over 73,000 air tickets are sold per month, generating revenue in excess of Rs. 2.5 billion with the highest number of tickets being issued to Indian and Middle Eastern destinations. These are high statistics. Also there are over 6,000 staff who will be affected by such a decision,” President International Air Transport Association Agents Association of Sri Lanka (IATA-SL) Dino de Fonseka said.

The travel industry is questioning the rationale behind the decision by the Board of Airline Representatives (BAR) to implement a system for air tickets to be purchased in Sri Lanka in US dollars instead of in rupees, as is done now.

He said that this move has not been approved by the government or certified by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

“The BAR is a law unto themselves. You cannot speak to them,” he told The Sunday Times FT when asked whether IATA had discussions with them. He said that the BAR is headed by non-nationals who do not have a nationalistic feeling towards the country.

“The officials at the BAR are posted for two to three years and they announce decisions that have far reaching adverse consequences,” he added. He also said that this is done mainly to show ‘some’ revenue to the BAR’s head offices.

He said the IATA Sri Lanka has made representations to the Minister of Aviation, Mangala Samaraweera and Director General Civil Aviation Authority, H. M. Nimalsiri and the issue lies with them at present. President of the Travel Agents Association of Sri Lanka (TAASL) Nihal Perera said that the dollar quotations for tickets will change values on the day the tickets are purchased, and it will also be a tedious process.

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