March 16, 2007: Sri Lankan state-owned budget carrier Mihin Air's maiden flight to the south Indian city of Thiruvananthapuram was delayed by over eight hours due to technical hitches. The flight was due to takeoff from Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake, but was called off after detecting a faulty nose wheel.

This flight was pre-requisite for the airline to get an Air Operating Certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Authority. The carrier was operating the service with guest passengers and there were no paid passengers on its first flight that was being operated using a leased Fokker-27 aircraft.

If the carrier gets an AOC, it will enable the carrier to operate and handle all other aspects of a commercial flight using a leased Fokker-27 aircraft. At present, it does not own, or lease, any other aircraft now. Mihin Air was to announce its schedule to the Indian sub-continent and West Asian destinations on receipt of the license.

Meanwhile, after an 8-hour delay the flight took off for the south Indian city and returned back by around midnight. This ensures that the carrier will get an AOC from the Sri Lankan aviation authorities.

"The test flight was successful and we are in the process of issuing the operating certificate," Director General of Civil Aviation HMC Nimalsiri said.

The certificate gives Mihin Air clearance to operate and handle all other aspects of a commercial flight using a leased Fokker-27 aircraft.

Mihin Air's start-up costs were pegged at around $15 million. The government has set aside $5 million as working capital. The carrier is partly owned by the state and Emirates airlines of Dubai. Upon commencing of operations, the carrier was to be fully managed by Emirates.

Earlier last year, the carrier had declared commencement of operations in February this year. However, it was further extended to another month, with March slated as the date for the maiden flight. The carrier, on becoming operational, was expecting to ferry migrant workers and cater to the country's developing tourism industry.

According to Mihin Air chief executive officer Sajin Vass Gunawardena, the low-cost carrier would help migrant workers fly a nominal cost. At present, the workers in the island nation pay around three months of their salary for a ticket to a destination in neighbouring India.

The carrier was planning to deploy a single aircraft initially, which was to be increased to two in the next three-month period. The state-owned carrier was banking on commercial loans and funding from government agencies for the project.

After becoming operational, the low-cost carrier would create nearly 500 direct and indirect jobs.

Sri Lanka's new state-run budget airline secured a provisional licence to fly after technical problems delayed its maiden test flight by over eight hours, officials said.