Sri Lanka airline boss says 'don't be a CEO during Covid'

Sri Lanka's national carrier has been struggling against even more headwinds than many of its rivals. Airlines around the world have been buffeted by the impact of countries closing their borders during the pandemic and soaring fuel prices due to the Ukraine war. State-owned SriLankan Airlines is also facing the worst economic crisis for decades in its home country. Its British-born boss told the BBC how he plans to turn the firm around. "I think the first lesson for me is don't ever go and be a CEO during Covid," Richard Nuttall, the CE of SriLankan Airlines, jokes when asked what his biggest takeaway is from the last two years. Nuttall has spent decades in the airline industry, working with names including Cathay Pacific and Philippines Airlines. He became the CE of SriLankan Airlines in April last year, after joining the company in November 2021 as its CCO. He joined the loss-making carrier after Sri Lanka eased its coronavirus border restrictions and hopes were high that the firm was set to see a recovery in passenger numbers.<br/>