CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

The President & The SriLankan

Prof. Hudson McLean

Bumping off the President in the SriLankan airline flights and not accommodating HE was not the civil thing to do.

Rules Are Rules! And every passenger has the same rights.

The fact of the matter is that, under the current insecurity atmosphere, the CEO of SriLankan should have accorded the CEO of Sri Lanka Government Highest Priority with unlimited Flexibility. And at very short notice for security reasons.

Peter Hill, CEO of SriLankan should have considered many other options open to him.

1: Allow HE and a limited delegation into one flight and place the rest of the minions onto another flight. The No: 1 Person is HE the President. He should be given utmost Priority!

2: Offer "bumping-off compensation to those pre-booked passengers and place them on to other flights. Plus offer other incentives.

3: Hire a private Executive Jet as a service to his employer, the President of Sri Lanka. Forget the cost. This is a matter of National Importance!

and so on......

I have faced similar situations in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, when a member of the Royal Family drives in with his entire entourage and takes all the First Class seats. The airline ground staff has no say! The passengers get the rough-end of the stick. That included me, a First Class ticket holder.

On the other hand it could be argued that Peter Hill played by the Rules that every passenger is equally important, and the President could sip his champagne whilst he waited for the next flight. After his contract expires, Peter Hill can look for other jobs, displaying his professional integrity, but where can he find a similar job?

African leaders will not simply cancel his Work Permit. Neither would any Arab leader. Any ASEAN country would give him similar headaches. Europe has enough airline ex-CEOs in the job market.

The bottom line is that, Peter Hill walked the "fine thin line of ice" of Professional Integrity and the service accorded to a VVVIP, who is needed to take care of a troubled country. Hill lacked professional judgment and empathy.

In any case, Peter Hill should have taken the trouble to find the Presidential delegation alternative accommodation to get HE to Sri Lanka, to suit the schedule of HE. Period.

Just imagine, VIPs awaiting the President of Sri Lanka being told that HE could not find a seat in SriLankan, the official airlines of Sri Lanka!!!!

Disgraceful!

Peter Hill - You made a grave inexcusable, unprofessional grave error!

You do not deserve to be the CEO of SriLankan. Or any other airline where flexibility and judgment is crucial.

A PEACEFUL CHRISTMAS & A PLENTIFUL NEW 2008!

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