The Hon. Nalinda Jayatissa
SriLankan Airlines recorded a cumulative group loss of Rs. 323.5 billion from 2019/20 to 2024/25, including exchange losses of Rs. 214.6 billion and finance costs of Rs. 193.5 billion, despite reporting operating profits in most years and a total operating profit of Rs. 95 billion before exchange effects. For 2024/25, aircraft and spare engine lease rentals amounted to Rs. 40.4 billion, with lease or loan instalments being paid on 22 aircraft. As at 31 March 2025, total loans payable stood at Rs. 188.3 billion, including state bank loans, sovereign bonds, an overdraft, and deferred lessor payments, while 2024/25 principal repayments were Rs. 5.9 billion and interest payments Rs. 26.6 billion.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Answering on behalf of the Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation:
¶ 02 SriLankan Airlines: Loss from 01.01.2019, operating loss, lease/loan instalments, aircraft count; loans and annual instalments.
¶ 03 (a) (i) Group loss by financial year: 2019/20: Rs. (44.1) billion 2020/21: Rs. (49.7) billion 2021/22: Rs. (163.6) billion 2022/23: Rs. (71.3) billion 2023/24: Rs. 7.9 billion profit 2024/25: Rs. (2.7) billion loss Cumulative loss: Rs. (323.5) billion
¶ 04 Includes total exchange loss Rs. 214.6 billion and finance costs Rs. 193.5 billion.
¶ 05 (ii) Operating profit/loss: 2019/20: Rs. 1.5 bn operating profit 2020/21: Rs. (8.1) bn operating loss 2021/22: Rs. 1.7 bn operating profit 2022/23: Rs. 43.4 bn operating profit 2023/24: Rs. 28.1 bn operating profit 2024/25: Rs. 28.4 bn operating profit Total operating profit before FX: Rs. 95 bn over 2019 Apr–2025 Mar.
¶ 06 (iii) 2024/25 total lease rentals for aircraft and spare engines: Rs. 40.4 bn.
¶ 07 (iv) Number of aircraft paying lease/loan instalments: 22.
¶ 08 (b) (i) Total loans payable as at 31.03.2025: Rs. 188.3 bn, comprising: - State bank loans guaranteed by GOSL: Rs. 93.9 bn - International sovereign bonds: Rs. 62.7 bn - Bank of Ceylon overdraft: Rs. 20.2 bn - Deferred payment arrangements with lessors: Rs. 11.5 bn
¶ 09 (ii) Total annual loan instalments 2024/25: Rs. 5.9 bn.
¶ 10 (iii) For 2024/25, total principal repayments: Rs. 5.9 bn; total interest: Rs. 26.6 bn.
¶ 11 (c) Not applicable.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Tuesday, 5 May 2026 ·No. 23546 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Nalinda Jayatissa. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 5 May 2026. No. 23546. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/19759