SriLankan decision in a week: Emirates

Emirates airline could close the deal on SriLankan Airlines' 43.6 per cent stake sale to Sri Lanka as early as today, according to the airline's president.

"It is correct that we would be selling our stake in SriLankan Airlines to the Sri Lankan Government. I was in Colombo last week to discuss the sale. We're hoping that in the week starting Monday [today] the deal would be closed. So probably during the course of this week, the sale would be concluded," Tim Clark told Emirates Business.

He, however, did not divulge the price at which the stake would be bought by Sri Lanka. "I can't really indicate a price at this stage. As soon as the money is in our bank, the deal would be concluded," said Clark. Emirates ended its decade-long management contract with the Sri Lankan national carrier in April 2008.