Final Run

Gulf Air said Monday that they would quit Sri Lanka by mid March this year, as soaring oil prices and stiff competition from other Middle East carriers puts the squeeze on operations.

Gulf Air said Monday that they would quit Sri Lanka by mid March this year, as soaring oil prices and stiff competition from other Middle East carriers puts the squeeze on operations.

“This year we will consolidate on the positive strides made in 2004, which necessitates further optimisation of performance across the business and the network, to minimise the impact of the record high fuel price and grow our market share in the face of increasing competition,” Fareed Al Alawi, Gulf Air’s Vice President Network, said in a statement.

The move is part of plans to shed unprofitable routes in Africa and Asia, terminating operations to Casablanca in Morocco from March 24 and to Colombo from March 26.

“Part of this process entails the review and evaluation of our network.

At this critical juncture we are looking at ways in which we can use our fleet and resources in the most effective way to ensure that we serve our customers and meet their needs while maintaining our operation on a commercial basis,”