Just a week after local newspapers exposed SriLankan Airlines Chairman, Nishantha Wickremasinghe for ordering a Colombo bound aircraft from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore just to pick him up en route it has now been revealed that he had once again intervened to change another flight.
Nishantha Wickramasinghe, Chairman SriLankan Airlines delivered the inaugural speech at the second International Air Transport Association (IATA) Global Human Capital Summit, ‘Talent for Tomorrow’ | File photo
The Sunday Times reported that a SriLankan Airlines flight from Colombo to Paris was supposed to wait until a tour group of some 80 passengers going to the French capital arrived from the Maldivian capital of Male, but had suddenly taken off after “an influential crew member” had intervened.
“However after a short wait, it suddenly took off without the inbound passengers from Male. The 80 tourists were transferred to other carriers,” the Sunday Times report said.
“The talking point on the corridors of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) was whether an “influential” flight crew member with connections to the top telephoned a big wig and said the long wait is troubling her. Instructions came for the flight to take off for Paris immediately” the newspaper reported.
Colombo Telegraph can now reveal that the flight crew member in question who made the impatient telephone call was Chathurika Muhandiramge. According to SriLankan Airline sources she is intimately involved with Chairman Nishantha Wickramasinghe. She had put a phone call through to the Chairman to ask him to order that the flight take off ahead of schedule to Paris.
The cost of rerouting the 80 passengers from Male on other flights would have had to be borne by Sri Lankan Airlines and therefore by the Sri Lankan tax payer since the airline is operating at a massive loss.
Recently Wckramasinghe diverted a commercial UL flight to Singapore to have himself, his wife and a guest picked up from Singapore’s Changi Airport. Telephoning the airline, Wickramasinghe ordered that the scheduled SriLankan direct flight from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to Colombo be diverted to Singapore so that he and his entourage could be picked up on the way, the Sunday Times reported last week. This was because Wickramasinghe could not wait for the scheduled SriLankan flight from Singapore to Colombo that was to take off from Changi in just two hours. The National carrier has been running in to hundreds of millions of rupees of losses since its management was taken back from Emirates Airlines by the Rajapaksa Administration. Wickramasinghe is the elder brother of First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa and has no experience or formal education that qualifies him to be the head of an airline.
mike / February 3, 2014
This bugger with no experience or formal education is reading what has been written. Whether he can read what has been written remains to be seen??
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vishvajith / February 3, 2014
Mike, point taken, people read what their speech writers do.
Here’s a cracker, During the UNP Govt, it’s Minister of Tourism (Gamini Lokuge ), at a WTO meeting, not only read the speech he was given but also the copy he was carrying. So the bugger read the speech twice. He is now a member of the Jumbo Cabinet in the Holy Land.
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Sowden Edward Asange / February 3, 2014
LMAO….
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Don Stanely / February 4, 2014
Trade Unions should start a campaign and the people for Lanka need to call for this clown’s RESIGNATION IMMEDIATELY. The Chairman of an institution should lead by example and not be wasting funds of the company.
Sri Lanka airlines is heavily in debt and borrowing on international capital markets to by planes and it is the Sri Lankan people who have to pay the bill.
The Sri Lanka Tax payer has the right to know How many times this uneducated clown Nishantha Wickramasinghe has taken Sri Lankan flights on what pretexts and who is footing the bill for all this jaunts!
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Javi / February 4, 2014
Vishvajith,
he was a known thug like Aloysius Modalali.
BTW this is interesting happening at the Netherlands. professor of history with MR chit is rewriting dutch/ceylon history covering sinhalese tracks of being bought in from patna like the Surinamese.
Who is this woman with a ethopian middle name that she is now hiding
Prof. Dr. Nira Kinjit Wickramasinghe???
I am about to visit the Delft(a higher body) so it would be interesting to know. Could you please be kind enough.
“ancient mariners, Sri Lanka was Ratnadipa, the land of gems. By about the fifth century BC peoples from northern India had settled on the island. Legends mention the name of their leader, prince Vijaya. The settlers were called Sihalas–‘people of the Lion’–because Vijaya’s father was actually believed to have been a lion. Within four centuries most of the islanders had accepted Buddhism, and from 67 until 993 C.E. the city of Anuradhapura was the political and religious centre of the island. Giant reservoirs were built for irrigation. However, it was not rice, but rather cinnamon and the elephant trade that attracted Western traders.” This is a lie because the dutch came from the east(mistress of Charles V Roman Emperor was Dutch) for nutmeg and ivory while the others came from west.
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vishvajith / February 6, 2014
Thx for the update Javi.
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sirimal / February 3, 2014
why cant they sack this bugger ?
When would MR ever make any good decision respecting the people´s expectations- to safegaurd justice and fairiness ? Still stupid people to stay stick to him is unthinkable to me.
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Maveeran / February 4, 2014
Mahinda Jarawapakka wont get sex from the ugly fat boar Shiranthi otherwise. So its not easy for Mahinda to sack his brother in law.
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sirimal / February 4, 2014
YOU KNOW THAT COMMON PARLANCE –
” Baduth ewunge naduth ewunge” – that is THE great match with the situation. See the HEAD OF STATE – the most stupid we have had sofar would ever make any comment on whatever it is the case with national carrier, routinized high crimes,contrast of impunity etc. He stays – reciting the same old rhetorics – like TO the bana hearing same audience that would nod with SADU SADU even if heard “we are going to kill you anyone if goes against MR rule”.
Above all – uncivilised Wimal buruwansa and Champika to behave the same way as the majority kitchen cabinet ministers have been – no means explainable. I believe paranoid thinking of those WW and Cranawaka will not allow them to see anything else properly.
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fonseka / February 5, 2014
MR and his sevaral army officers got sex from [Edited out]
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Maveeran / February 6, 2014
From your mother? I believe you for sure Ponseka
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Koli Kuttu / February 3, 2014
Another MEANINGFUL issue for our noble angels BBS/RV/SR to look into. you can break mosques, churches and kovils after you clean the filth in your own community. And btw Gnasara worships the big GOAT, so lets see how these patriots handle their corrupt heroes.
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Sirimal / February 3, 2014
This happens when wrong ones are appointed to these positions.
It is no secret since the man is there, nothign seem to be like making profits. This the journalists could better get interviewing or holding an opnion poll easily. This is the ground reality of Srilankan today. It is believe the losses that reached to this date is 4 times more than 3 years before.
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Abhaya / February 3, 2014
Ahead of schedule really I doubt CDG would have allowed it . thats not a little air port .
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Namal Perera / February 3, 2014
If Ali Baba is a crazy lunatic, what else can you expect from his associates?
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rewa / February 3, 2014
“Wickramasinghe is the elder brother of First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa and has no experience or formal education that qualifies him to be the head of an airline.’
He may not but he is fully qualified to be part of the kind of crony capitalism SL practices nowadays.
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shankar / February 3, 2014
“The cost of rerouting the 80 passengers from Male on other flights would have had to be borne by Sri Lankan Airlines and therefore by the Sri Lankan tax payer since the airline is operating at a massive loss.”
I think the non taxpayers far outnumber the taxpayers in srilanka.So it is okay for them.They will continue to vote for mahinda regardless of how much the taxpayers are forking out and mahinda will win elections.
Unless the taxpayers say we have had enough just like those in bangkok,The bloody fools will be continued to be milked dry.
When mahinda has elections every year to show that the masses are voting for him,taxpayers and the businesses should tell him to get the taxes also from them,not only the votes.If you are not paying for something why should you care if it is making losses and all the rajapakshe clan are treating the country as their family property.
Taxpayers regardless of your individual and party differences unite.
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shankar / February 3, 2014
CT is that hot sexy woman who will be like an wild animal in bed, on the left side in the photo chaturika?
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shankar / February 3, 2014
silence is golden.No wonder this old croc looks like he is so worn out that he will croak anytime.She will kill him,but at least he will die happy with a smile on his face.
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Javi / February 4, 2014
Shanker catch her in the EU.
Hot sexy bestiality breed pumped by wickremasinghe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d366EPWsb2I
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Safa / February 3, 2014
No doubt Sri Lankan is now the private boodalaya of the Rajapakse clan. Are the people working there also the minions of the family?
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Senerath Kalupahana / February 3, 2014
This is why I hate any idiot who support this regime.
Jarapassa is a big time failure. Uneducated un civilized un cultured, ugly looking rascals must be condemn and send to medamulana soon. If there is a regime change all these beggar rascals must be locked behind bars along with their families.
first lady? My foot..who that rotten tomato looking one?
There are no ladies in this regime.
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Sowden Edward Asange / February 3, 2014
LOl @ rotten tomato lQQking one… hahhaha
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Mahnda / February 4, 2014
First Lady! my foot – all started going down since Hema – Surely these imbeciles can follow Mrs JR, what a gracious lady she was
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Sumith / February 3, 2014
This country belongs to the Rajapakse family.
Not only they are looting the wealth unlimited but also spending and wasting public funds as if there is no tomorrow.
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aratai / February 3, 2014
.
“Wickramasinghe is the elder brother of First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa and has no experience or formal education that qualifies him to be the head of an airline.”
.
.
If you are related to Rajapakse’s ….. it’s equivalent to a PhD from Oxford.
:-)
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Citizen / February 3, 2014
Beginning of the downfall of Sri Lanka Airlines. Likely to loose customers.
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ela kolla / February 3, 2014
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public / February 3, 2014
Why is the public silent? These stupid fools r milking us dry
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Javi / February 4, 2014
except for respecting the yellow robe borrowed from the hindu you never fought for independence but hid in Tnadu lungi
Now the slip is showing- public licking arse.
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Kutti Machan / February 3, 2014
The woman was horny to get to Paris quickly to her real young boy friend. This old fool is easily deceived to oblige her by the crumbs she throws his way occasionally.
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senaratne / February 3, 2014
why isn’t the opposition making any noise? it is time that Ranil wickramasinghe or the alternate opp leader Anura kumara tabling a motion in Parliament to discuss the pathetic management style of this guy.
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The Professional / February 3, 2014
Only loose motions under the table.
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punchinilame / February 3, 2014
Why cannot COPE summon this Chairman to explain his action, in view of
the losses – the Chairman of COPE hasn^t the guts to do so!
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Sowden Edward Asange / February 3, 2014
the chairman of COPE cannot.. IF he butts head with rocks he wont be the chairman who gets all the perks while sitting… vehicle permit -duty free and what not…
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kapu / February 3, 2014
But, the sucker is a good…sugar daddy..! whether inwords or deeds…we should ask the puppies…!!!!!
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Sowden Edward Asange / February 3, 2014
he is NO match to teh caliber of Rakkitha who was the Initial Chairman of Air Lanka… THIS GUY IS JUST ANOTHER SUGAR DADDIE… who has connections…. wonder what his spouse and kids have to say, now that this “Affair” has come to light…. They better shut up I guess or he may ask em to leave…
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spark / February 3, 2014
This is the guy who could not account for the expensive Rolex watch worth 5m, that a kudda had robbed from his house. The explanation he gave was that it is a gift from his son in Australia. The son is supposedly doing a low paying job for a church orgnanisation and would not have been in a position to purchase such lavish wealthy items. If true, how come the son never declared such a valuable gift at the airport customs.
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The Professional / February 3, 2014
Could be a gift to the church.
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Kota Pora / February 3, 2014
The same newspaper reported that sri Lankan Airlines
was going to launch a bond issue of $ 175 million to
buy new aircraft.How do they repay? It is all with
public money.
Lakshman Hulugalle who was given a public position in
full trust was involved in a love tryst with a married
woman. It became a public secret and an international
disgrace.
Now the old fogey Wickremasingha, Chairman of Sri Lankan
Airlines is having his name mentioned over his involvement
with young stewardesses. They are running the airline whilst
he is running them. He is really having a taste of paradise
at public expense. That is fun for a person who did not pass
even is GCE and was only a tea salesman like Jaliya Wickramasuriya
Ambassador in United States for Sri Lanka.
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bbs dayan / February 3, 2014
He might be better suited to run the country as it cannot get any worse or can it?
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Henry Merrill Fernando. / February 3, 2014
Its very sad to see what is happening in my beloved Sri Lanka that is been governed by rough Politicians and its administration and robbing the country of its wealth as one read the news of what people in power enjoying the fruits and abusing the system for their own gains, like the Chairman of SriLankan Airlines. The people are not educated enough to understand whats going on and what the country needs is avery strong sincere leader to take over power and wipe clean corrupt Politicians and its Leaders by the gun. The best person who should be elected in the next election should be General Sarath Foneska, not CBK or anybody members of the other Political parties. The country and its people needs to open their eyes now and I have foreseen the best man to be General Fonseka, a honest, sincere man of principle and discipline Hero of the country. People have to think carefully who should run the country, not drug barons, roughs, Religious leaders or persons who are in power now or in the past.
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vishvajith / February 3, 2014
Henry, General must be a popular man and may have won the Pres Election last, yet his actions during the war ? he was in command and now we are accused of war crimes. Imagine a War Criminal as your President. Politics must stay with the Politicians.
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shankar / February 3, 2014
“Imagine a War Criminal as your President.”
why imagine.Aren’t we already having one?After all our ancient kings had vijayabahu 1,2,3 etc,why can’t we now have war criminal 1,2,3
Yu sound a fussy snob.You can be expelled from TDC if you don’t have thick skin.Who cares if a war criminal runs the country or not.
PS.wasn’t george w bush a war criminal?Were the yanks fussy?
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bganendra / February 3, 2014
THIS CHAP WAS CALLED AN “IDIOT” WHILST HE WAS IN THE PLANTATIONS. He NEVER GOT A PROMOTION.
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sirimal / February 3, 2014
So – knowing the fact those who failed any hands on experience in diplomatic missions being posted to those offices today, what can we discuss about the point ? Former army officers (Shravinda Silva), Tea taster (Jaliya Wikramasooriya) and many others that are just their relatives or henchmen have been appointed to such offices – it is like malukade… Can you imagine, how could these office function ?
Remarkable enough that the wonder is the man who is said tob e the minister of External Affairs is run by a law professor, GLP who earned all recoganitions even in European Universities.
So having seen all these, what I feel many Sinahalyas have no honesty by their birth on. They would easily be tamed by perks. May be it is high time to do some genetic analysis. Then we can forget keeping hopes on them.
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Javi / February 4, 2014
Well! Only Foreign Minister Robin Cook resigned immediately in the run upto the Iraq war so can you expect a cinnamon peeler origin GLP a down right fascist to leave than being kicked out??
Oxbridge is for small colonies therefore he drowned while Cambridge is for the big like India.
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shankar / February 3, 2014
bgnanendra,thats because he was busy planting his seed there.
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Reerie Yakka / February 3, 2014
How is this geriatric old blunderer managing his young girl friend? He must be so beholden to her that he dares to divert the flight. Must be having a stock of Viagra to straighten himself up.
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mechanic / February 3, 2014
You’d better protect your arse.
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Javi / February 4, 2014
Mechanic Amigo are you leaking? or you planting leaks??
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Kapila Weerasekera / February 3, 2014
What CT readers are being treated to is ONLY the tip of
the iceberg. Who goes to suburban hotels with one or two
willing stewardesses? Why does the Chairman Wickremasingha
issue a directive to the board that all interviews for
female recruits should be chaired by him? Those advising
Rajapaksa will pass these stories as a campaign against
the Chairman. But if he investigates, hell will break
loose. People are scared to talk publicly in Sri Lankan.
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Medical Specialist (Dr) Shamila Fernando / February 3, 2014
Anura Kumar must be elect as opposition leader not the backbone less Ranil.
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Javi / February 4, 2014
I suppose because he belongs to your class?? While at parliament just the tamils fearlessly give you bestiality breed folk the works. Ahema nede??
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Mahasona / February 3, 2014
Reera Yaka – He does not need Viagra. Wickramasingha
has Rolls Royce engines, powerful enough to take off
and land. What he will need soon is a hangar.
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shankar / February 3, 2014
Poor younger generations.You will have to pay and pay all the debts that your pappas have amassed until you die.When you die you will think whether all the hard work you put in was worth it for what you got in return but at least be consoled by the fact that the lenders were happy.
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kdh / February 3, 2014
and they have the audacity to publicly post on their vacancies. entire management is corrupt and starting with the operating body..the innocent tax payer is paying the price while these a**H***s do whatever that pleases them and their reproductive organs!
“influencing will not bare any weight on the application process”
how do moron’s like this get appointed in the first place!
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vishvajith / February 3, 2014
Full marks to Chairman UL for managing his manly affairs with a young n pretty dame. Now, now, don’t be jealous n blame the man.
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Javi / February 4, 2014
Why should anyone feel ashamed?
It in the vogue to be like the naked fakir so you may live young.
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Douglas / February 3, 2014
Every Airline has a two letter code to identify; e.g. SQ for Singapore Airline; BA for British Airways; EK for Emirates etc.
SriLankan also has UL. This UL is UNIQUE:
1. UL = Usually Late
2. UL = Unable to Locate
3. UL = Unable to Lactate.
Isn’t this another MIRACLE of Asia.?
So enjoy. We are a MIRACLE too for tolerating all these.
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punchinilame / February 3, 2014
but BOAC now defunct was = Better On A Camel!
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