Sri Lanka Boosts Salaries to Retain Air Traffic Controllers Amid Currency Crisis
1 month ago
Sri Lanka Boosts Salaries to Retain Air Traffic Controllers Amid Currency Crisis
In response to a significant exodus of air traffic controllers following the country's recent currency crisis, Sri Lanka has implemented salary increases and initiated new hiring efforts to stabilize its aviation sector, according to Athula Galketiya, Chairman of Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd.
"During the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic crisis, we saw a considerable number of air traffic controllers leaving the country. However, the government has stepped in to raise their salaries, which has helped reduce the number of departures," Galketiya stated.
Sri Lanka’s currency, the rupee, experienced a dramatic decline, plummeting from 200 to 360 against the US dollar during the crisis, which concluded in 2022. The rupee's devaluation followed a history of steady declines, exacerbated by economic policies such as flexible inflation targeting and potential output targeting, which have been heavily criticized as damaging monetary strategies.
In addition to increasing salaries, the government has authorized the recruitment of new air traffic controllers. Although the training process is lengthy, a group of over 25 trainees has successfully completed their training at the AASL Training Centre and the Civil Aviation Authority and are now on duty. Another batch of 25 trainees is currently under evaluation.
Galketiya noted that the capacity to train large numbers of air traffic controllers is limited, which presents a challenge in quickly addressing staffing shortages.
Source: EconomyNext