Sri Lanka, May 19 -- GULF NEWS: Talks about a possible privatisation of Sri Lanka's flagship carrier - and the proceeds that will flow to the cash-strapped government from selling it - are again making the rounds.

The Emirates Group had managed the carrier for years until the contract ended just after the 2008-09 Global Financial Crisis broke out.

For now, SriLankan is facing another crisis. The country is facing its worst economic crisis since independence with severe food and fuel shortages. The state-owned carrier sparked public criticism in April when it announced a plan to lease nearly two-dozen aircraft to replace planes whose leases expire in December 2022.

The airline is operating at slightly over 70 percent of its pre-pandemic...