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Helitours to acquire two civilian passenger aircraft
View(s):Helitours, the Sri Lanka Air Force’s domestic air service, is to acquire two civilian passenger aircraft on full payment/lease basis for a regular, profitable and reliable operation of a domestic commercial air travel business, officials said.
Approval was granted by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM) to establish a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with a private party to obtain two aircraft on lease basis for the operation of this domestic air service.
However this PPP will operate as a separate company with Helitours having a share ownership, R. Paskaralingam, Senior Adviser to the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs, has informed the CCEM. Helitours had been operating scheduled flights with two Chinese-built MA60 aircraft. The company is offering charter flights on two other aircraft — a Harbin Y-12 and a Bell 412 helicopter — but declares outright to prospective passengers that no insurance cover is available for these aircraft, a Civil Aviation Authority official said.
He disclosed that the Civil Aviation Authority has advised Helitours to operate it services with better aircraft if it wished to carry out operation.
Mr. Paskaralingam told the CCEM that the cabinet of ministers had granted approval to obtain two civilian passenger aircraft on full payment/lease basis.