SriLankan Airlines parks planes due to lack of engines

SriLankan Airlines has grounded three aircraft because they do not have the available funds to pay for engine repairs according to Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva. He told Sri Lanka's parliament on February 10, 2023, that the aircraft have been grounded for several months for this reason. Repeating earlier calls to restructure and privatise the airline, de Silva claimed SriLankan Airlines was carrying US$1.2b in debt, and outgoings such as interest and lease payments ate into any possible profit margins. “Three aircraft are on the ground,” the minister said. “For several months we have not had the money to fix the engines." SriLankan Airlines CEO Richard Nuttall confirmed to ch-aviation that three A320 family aircraft were grounded due to a lack of engines. Nuttall says this is the result of a combination of issues including reliability problems with the new technology CFM International Leap engines, the grounding of aircraft during Covid, payment issues coming out of Covid, and the 2022 financial meltdown in Sri Lanka. "At the moment we have payment plans agreed upon that have been operating for several months. Now the challenge is the availability of engines and slots at overhaul facilities. This is an industry challenge affecting many airlines," he said.<br/>