Who is behind Mihin Air's scame?

 Mihin Lanka is demanding USD 60,000 (Rs. Six Million) from each of the next batch of trainee pilots which includes four air force Pilots who have failed their flight tests but are being funded by the government.

(December 23, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Mihin Lanka is the budget airline of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, which was formed to cater for low cost air transportation to the traveling public. The airline was founded by Mahinda Rajapakse as part of his now famous 'Mahinda Chinthanaya'. Since its inception in April, 2007 the Airline has never shown a profit, it is, however, apparently making money by offering pilot training and charging exorbitantly for it. The question is: where is the money going?

At first this deal was well accepted and a boon for experienced pilots wishing to gain flying hours and for instructors to work for a commercial airline. Sadly, it now appears that this was just a scam to 'milk' the innocents of their money. And this was done with the knowledge, if not the consent of the hierarchy in Mihin. And let us not forget that the 'creator' of Mihin was none less than Mahinda Rajapakse.

Training and rating on the Airbus 320 is required to fly the planes Mihin Lanka. Anywhere in the world the cost for the training is somewhere around USD 25,000 including the ground school studies, 20 hrs on the Full Flight Simulator and the base check on the actual aircraft.

As is usual in Sri Lanka there is even a conspiracy amongst the trainees themselves to get some to pay more than others, perhaps to finance their own training. This is apparently being done with the knowledge and lobbying from influential people from the government. As mentioned above, no less than four air force pilots are being funded from the treasury after failing their flight tests and Mihin appears not only willing but anxious to put them in charge of commercial flights regardless of the risk to the passengers.

Perhaps, the main reason for the skyrocketing training prices is one person. He is the owner of South Asian Aviation Services (SAAS), Captain XXXXX who has struck a deal through contacts with the Operations Manager at Mihin Lankan to provide training.

Commercial pilot training in well established facilities around the world in the United States of America and Singapore involves 20 hrs on the A320 Simulator at a cost of around USD 600 per hour. But SAAS charges USD 25,000 to do provide these same hours. Even licensed pilots who only seek accreditation are being charged USD 25,000 for 15 hours.

Initially all the pilots had to pay USD 5000 for the ground school studies in Colombo and now Mihin Lanka is demanding a further $ 9,000 for the Simulator assessment.

The total cost for the whole training by SAAS is:

Ground school (done at Sri Lankan Airlines ) :-  USD 5000

20 Hrs simulator hrs :-  USD 25,000

Base check  :- USD 10,000

So, while political contacts paid some of the money the cost should have been USD 40,000 regardless of how must previous experience they had. So the question is, why is Mihin Lanka demanding USD 60,000 each from a the next batch of Pilots.

This implies a scam perpetrated by SAAS with the connivance of Mihin and by association, none other than Mahinda Rajapakse who cannot deny responsibility for his 'creation'.

Every airline in the world has the right to 'bond' their pilots for an agreed period. Pilot training is not cheap and the airlines have every right to expect certain years of loyalty from their trainees. However, overcharging and taking on 'political appointees', for the responsible post of a commercial airline pilot responsible for the lives of hundreds of must be brought to the attention of the airline travellers of Sri Lanka.