A four-member board, appointedby Sri Lankan President MahindaRajapaksa, has recommended thatthere be "effective" accountability andtransparency in the maintenance andoperation of SriLankan Airlines in theevent of the lease being extended tothe Emirates, according to sources.

The board was formed to explorethe feasibility of renewing the agreementwith Emirates Airline to operatethe national carrier, SriLankanAirlines.

The Board has also recommendedthat the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation(CPC) stand by its agreement toprovide fuel to the country’s nationalairline. An order to this effect hasalready been sent.

The Board has also recommendedthe acquisition of new aircraft and theopening of new destinations, whichwere vital for the national airline tocompete efficiently and economicallyin a challenging global context.

The present agreement between theSri Lankan government and Emiratesis due to expire in March 2008. PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa will have todecide shortly on whether to renewthe agreement and if the term was tobe extended, as to on what new termsthe operations of SriLankan Airlinescould be granted.

The agreement includes exclusiverights to catering, maintenance andground handling at Sri Lanka’s internationalairport, the BIA at Katunayake,presidential secretariat sources said.

The four-member board that madethe recommendations was chaired bySriLankan Airlines chairman HarryJayawardena and comprised messrsNishantha Wickremasinghe, RajuChandiram and Sarath Ukkwatte.