SriLankan Airlines’ expansion plans are curbed by high debt and the government’s strained finances, Bloomberg reported, citing the carrier’s chief executive officer.

The flag carrier needs to solve its large legacy debt before making big airplane orders to grow its fleet of 24 Airbus planes, the report said, citing an interview with Richard Nuttall at an industry event. SriLankan is aiming to double its fleet during the next five years to boost frequencies to existing destinations, mostly to India and South Asia, it added.

The cash-starved Sri Lankan government plans to earmark LKR 20bn (USD 67.4m at today’s exchange rate) to help make the airline’s loan capital and interest payments in the 2025 fiscal year, according to the report.