Lankan Captain to pilot inaugural BA flight to Colombo

A Sri Lankan captain on April 15 will pilot British Airways (BA)'s first flight to Colombo, resuming after a lapse of 15 years.

The flight from Gatwick will be to Colombo via Male with direct flights planned next year. The airline will fly thrice weekly on this route.

Capt. Kiran Mediwaka will captain the inaugural flight that will also have onboard British Airways CEO Keith Williams along with a delegation of about five officials from the airline and around 30 journalists from the UK, the airline's Sri Lankan GSA Hayleys Aviation Director/General Manager Gerard Victoria said. The visiting journal- ists will travel to Colombo, Kandy and the South during their 4-day stay in the country and would provide extensive coverage on the Sri Lankan experience, it was stated. Commenting on why such a high level delegation headed by the airline's CEO would travel on the inaugural flight, it was pointed out that this was mainly because of the bilateral relations between the two countries and since Sri Lanka was a former colony of the UK.

The BA Colombo office will open on March 14 and the Hayleys staff will supervise ground handling at the airport with upto 23 staff. Currently Hayleys also supervises ground handling for Oman Air and Air India Express.

Currently around 100,000 people travel to Colombo from the UK, and the latter generates the second largest number of tourist arrivals to the country as well, Mr. Victoria pointed out. The airline would be marketing the destination as a two-stop holiday both in Male and Colombo as the existing flight to Male is being extended.

An initial load factor of around 25 per cent will disembark in Colombo on the Boeing 777 - 200, the long range twin engine jet aircraft, that would be used on these long haul flights comprising 42 Business class seats, 24 World Traveller Plus and 203 Economy or World Traveller passenger capacity, he said.

The carrier is already carrying out promotional campaigns to promote the destination out of London in its in-flight magazine; at the Gat- wick and Heathrow airports; information on the destination through its regular mails to Frequent Flyers; and advertisements on the reverse of the BA boarding pass.

He said the airline is offering special fares with about 5-10 per cent discounts for a limited period for passengers on BA flights out of Colombo.

The airline would be mostly targeting Sri Lankan expatriates travelling to from the UK, US and Canada, Mr. Victoria observed adding that with the opening up of the North there was more potential from Tamils willing to travel as well.

the policy on condominiums to foreigners. Kishore D.Reddy, Managing Director of Platinum Reality Investments (Pvt) Ltd, building a 20-floor condo, told the Business Times that it is premature to comment on the impact of the government's decision as the necessary legislation is yet to be drafted. But he referred to the current 2008 rule governing condo sales to foreigners and noted that as long as this legislation is in force, units could be purchased by foreigners and foreign expatriates.

He expressed the belief that the government will soon clarify the matter as it will affect foreign investments and the condominium market as well.

According to the government's decision foreign investors will be barred from purchasing land to build condominiums, hotels and other projects as well, he said.

The government should focus on clarity on policy to avoid confusion in sensitive issues such as these, he said.

A senior Finance Ministry official said that the rule stems from concern that the Government wouldn't have a strong hold on property development in the country mainly concerning hotels.

The majority of foreigners who have purchased land here have developed houses, villas, guest houses, boutique hotels, restaurants and other businesses.

Many have also purchased very small land plots and built small retirement homes and/or holiday home where many still come for 3 months each year to escape the European winter, he said.

He added that it is appropriate to re-consider the local land transactions of foreigners as the country's per capita land ownership has dropped to 0.2 hectares at present He also pointed out that the new rule was due to ever increasing demand for land with the widening of government’s development activities. The law pertaining to Condominium Ownership is defined in the Apartment Ownership Law (No. 11 of 1973) and Amendments thereto by Acts No. 45 of 1982, No. 4 of 1999 and No. 39 or 2003.

Most developers and owners are not fully aware of the prevailing legislation governing condominium ownership and many disputes arise between them that end up with the Condominium Management Authority (CMA) and/or in court for resolution, taking up much time and money.

Under the Apartment Ownership Law developers are required, on completion of a condo building, to provide buyers with a Certificate of Conformity for the building, a Registered Condominium Plan, and a Registered Condominium Declaration setting out the boundaries of each unit and describing the common elements.

They are also required to sign a deed of transfer with every owner, once he or she has paid the full amount stated in their sale agreement. All these procedures should be changed to prohibit foreigners from buying condos, the Finance Ministry official said, adding that the ministry will clarify the matter with the Legal Draftsman before finalising the amendments to all these Acts.

"There is absolute confusion," said another condo owner, who also raised the issue of what happens to gifting of earlier acquired and registered property by a foreigner to a member of the family or friend, etc.