Sri Lankan pilots raise alarm over working conditions at flag carrier

The Airline Pilot’s Guild of Sri Lanka (ALPGSL) is calling on the management of SriLankan Airlines to address its concerns regarding the working conditions at the flag carrier. Among the problems, the Guild says pilots have been overworked and underpaid. It comes as other workers at the oneworld airline have reportedly received bonuses. With the carrier at a deficit of more than 50 pilots, ALPGSL noted that the airline would lose more due to the ongoing concerns. In a statement, the association claimed that the current conditions and lack of response from the carrier’s management have contributed to the pilots’ low morale. “Whilst iterating our commitment and dedication to our beloved Airline, the passengers of the Airline and the country as a whole we wish to state that there has been serious and often times critical issues which have not been addressed by the Management of the Airline resulting in the current catastrophic state of affairs. The Pilots of the Airline have been left in the lurch as a result of a spate of decisions by the Management of the Airline compelling us to be overworked.” SriLankan requires more than 300 pilots to operate its scheduled flights and function at full capacity. In the last year, 70 pilots resigned from the airline amid the working conditions, but the association said that “many more” resignations could occur due to the issues resulting in “a complete depletion of pilots.”<br/>