SriLankan Airlines has been grappling with a significant pilot shortage, with over 70 pilots resigning in the past year due to inadequate salaries, according to a statement released by the pilots. This revelation comes in the wake of Member of Parliament Dayasiri Jayasekara highlighting the shortage in Parliament.
The pilots’ announcement comes in response to a serious allegation made by the Minister of Labor regarding a flight delay incident involving a group of Sri Lankan workers bound for South Korea on UL 470, a SriLankan Airlines flight. The pilots attribute these incidents to the prevailing issues of insufficient salaries and wages provided to them.
Notably, the statement emphasizes that the shortage of pilots is so severe that, out of the required 330 pilots, only 250 are currently serving due to problems within the aviation administration. This shortage has now reached a critical level where there are no pilots available within SriLankan Airlines to be assigned in case of emergencies.
The aforementioned delay of UL 470 was caused by the sudden illness of a pilot who was scheduled for the flight. The pilots’ statement highlights that the current pilot shortage further exacerbates the situation, raising concerns about the airline’s ability to promptly address unforeseen circumstances and emergencies.
