ICAO Questions Civil Aviation And SriLankan Airlines For Risking Passenger Lives

March 29, 2016

The International Civil Aviation Organization has written to the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka seeking explanation for flight safety violations caused by Mihin Lanka‘s controversial flights operated to Seychelles.

H.M.C. Nimalasiri Director General of CAA Sri Lanka has forwarded ICAO’s letter to the management of SriLankan Airlinesseeking their answers to complete a letter of response.

Mihin Lanka as an airline has been hell bent on operating the flight Colombo / Seychelles / Colombo under the former Head of Flight Operations Capt. Pujitha Jayakody, risking passenger and crew lives when at times the weather has been reported to be below the legal flight operating limits approved by international bodies. Documentary evidence seen by Colombo Telegraph indicates that Mihin Lanka Flights MJ 707/8 operated on 20th June 2015, 25th August 2015, 29th August 2015, 1st September 2015 and 3rd September 2015, were all illegally operated when the weather was below the minimum safety permitted conditions for the flights to depart from Colombo.

It is alleged that the sole purpose of this operation is to transport a special consignment of perishable cargo containing pineapples to Seychelles over the lives of passengers on board.

“Captain Jayakody has shown a special interest in having these pineapples transported. I am not sure if he has any personal gain in this. This is something similar to when during the days of Air Lanka in the late 80’s, his relatives the Jayakody’s of ‘Shirohana” fame – brother in law of late President R. Premadasa – diverted the Colombo’s / Tokyo flight to Fukuoka just to drop of their flowers”, a pilot speaking to Colombo Telegraph said on the condition of anonymity, as he is not permitted to speak to the media.

SriLankan Airlines now manages the country’s budget airline Mihin Lanka, after the former President Mahainda Rajapaksa was defeated.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka and SriLankan Airlines have now been hit by severe turbulence , as it was only recently that Mihin Lanka’s experienced pilot and former Manager Flight / Ground Safety Capt.Charles Sirimanne was terminated for exposing the violation these safety guidelines to the airline’s management.

Instead of been applauded for his efforts Capt. Sirimanne was terminated by Capt.Pujitha Jayakody the former Head of Flight Operations Mihin Lanka.

According to documents seen by Colombo Telegraph Capt. Sirimanne’s termination is so complicated that four letters that prematurely ended his service was provided by Mihin Lanka and the airlines Director Human Resources Sunil Peiris stating four different reasons.

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