Most people not in favour of selling SriLankan Airlines:Poll

While various reports emerge about the fate of SriLankan Airlines, a new, year- end Business Times poll with polling partner Second Curve has revealed that most Sri Lankans are still not in favour of an outright sale of the struggling, debt-ridden national carrier.

This is in contrast to a similar poll conducted in April 2016 where email respondents, representing largely middle and upper classes of society, were in favour of the Government exiting from the airline.

The latest poll revealed that 44 per cent of email respondents said “Yes” to the sale of SriLankan Airlines while 36.7 per cent said “No” and 19 per cent were “U (Undecided)”. The April 2016 email poll showed 78.6 per cent saying “No” to the Government managing and controlling the airline. The street response this time found 47 per cent against sale of the airline while 29 per cent said ‘Yes” and 24 per cent were “U”. This compares with the April 2016 street poll where 52 per cent said the Government should continue to manage and own the airline.

What is also interesting in the poll conducted last week in Colombo (email and on the street) and Galle ( on the street), is that street respondents in Colombo were strongly opposed to the sale of the airline with a resounding 67 per cent “No” vote while Galle residents voted for the sale of the airline with a 45 per cent “Y” vote and only 28 per cent saying “No” ( don’t sell). The overall percentage from Colombo/Galle streets was a 47 per cent “N” vote.

The polls in December 2017 and April 2016 reveal that the views on what should be done to the airline have changed and may be largely due to the many developments over the past 20 months where the airline has struggled through its operations, beset by accumulated losses.

The latest poll on various issues was conducted over the past two weeks with respondents being asked their expectations for 2018 and what they