Therefore, the government has taken up the task of repaying the Rs. 460 billion (3.2 billion US dollars) debt, he told the media in Colombo.

Once that is done, the airline will be made into a viable venture together with a partner or an investor, he said.

He stressed that this would not be a sale of SriLankan Airlines.

The PM noted that SriLankan had not been a burden on the public and earned profits during its partnership with Emirates Airlines that had been terminated by the previous regime.

Airbus order halted

The government will also inform Airbus Industrie to halt the production of four aircraft that had been ordered by the previous government, said Wickremesinghe.

Also, a luxury aircraft ordered by ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa, as exposed by deputy minister Ranjan Ramanayake, too, has been halted.