Ailing SriLankan Airlines Looks for Boost from Qatar
by Neelam Mathews - March 7, 2018, 9:00 AM Performers dressed as ancient Sri Lankan warriors mark SriLankan Airlines' entry into the Oneworld alliance in 2014.Pix Neelam Mathews SriLankan Airlines awaits a response from Qatar Airways to partnership overtures during discussions held in Colombo with a Qatari delegation, Sri Lankan minister of public enterprises development Kabir Hashim said at a recent press briefing in Colombo. Qatar had shown interest last October during a visit by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena to Doha, where he signed several bilateral deals. Ailing government-owned SriLankan Airlines has unsuccessfully endeavored to attract an airline to partner with it for several years. Emirates, which held a 43.6 percent stake and participated in a 10-year strategic agreement with SriLankan, did not renew its partnership upon its expiration in 2008 and sold all its shares to the Sri Lankan government in 2010. SriLankan...