Overseas demand results in 25% reduction of SriLankan Airlines aircraft engineers: ALAE

The Association of SriLankan Airlines Licensed Aircraft  Engineers (ALAE) revealed that an unprecedented demand for skilled  professionals from Sri Lanka abroad, resulting in a significant exodus  from ALAE’s workforce. This exodus has led to a 25% reduction in ALAE’s  workforce in recent months, and the association anticipates further  turnover of engineers due to the ongoing global demand.  

The ALAE has called on the stakeholders involved in the  management of the national carrier to collaborate on a workable  retention plan.  

“It was essential to address the current exodus of skilled  professionals to ensure providing top-notch aircraft maintenance and  safety for SriLankan Airlines passengers,” the ALAE said in a statement.    
“The current surge in global travel has created an  unprecedented demand for our skilled professionals, resulting in  advantageous job opportunities abroad. Regrettably, this has led to a  significant exodus from our community. The ALAE has experienced a 25%  reduction in its workforce in recent months and anticipates a  further turnover of engineers with the current global demand. This is  creating a massive shortage of Licensed Aircraft Engineers needed to run  the increasing operations of SriLankan Airlines.”  

“In the event of skilled and experienced engineer shortage, we will witness that the company will have to send some of our aircraft  to external Maintenance and Repair Organizations (MROs) for major  technical checks, which we have been performing in-house up to now. This  will result in millions of dollars moving out of the country as payment  for those MROs, when we are already facing a dollar crisis” . Further  to that, we have no assurance that they will deliver the same 7-star  safety standards like we do.