Air India Privatisation: Takeaways for Sri Lanka

Summary

This source file contains a single comparison slide from the conference session on Air India’s privatisation and its implications for Sri Lanka. The slide contrasts SriLankan Airlines’ performance under Emirates management with its subsequent performance under government management. Its central observation is that the post-war growth in tourism did not translate into improved airline performance after the return to state control.

The slide supports the broader session’s argument that ownership, governance and management incentives matter to airline performance. However, the uploaded file does not contain the full Air India case study or enough evidence to reconstruct the presentation’s complete argument. It should therefore be retained as a limited presentation asset rather than treated as a comprehensive policy paper.

Key Points

• SriLankan Airlines’ operating context improved after the end of the conflict and the expansion of tourism.
• Those favourable conditions did not translate into stronger performance under government management.
• The comparison suggests that ownership, governance and management discipline materially affect airline outcomes.
• The available PDF is only one slide and does not contain the full Air India privatisation case study.