President Maithripala Sirisena's outrage over cashew nuts offered to him on a SriLankan Airlines flight has made a severe impact on the struggling national carrier's global brand image. 

The President's remarks have been picked up by many international media stations, including BBC, adding insult to the festering wounds of the cash-strapped national carrier which is grappling with a debt burden of USD 01 billion..

SriLankan Airlines recently hired two legendary cricketers - Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena - as brand ambassadors in a desperate attempt to revive its image and draw more businesses. 

Sirisena said not even a dog could eat the cashew nuts offered to him on a SriLankan Airlines flight last week.

Addressing a farmers' event in Hambantota last morning, an angry Sirisena asked who approved unedible cashew for the national carrier.  

The airline, a state-owned enterprise, is yet to officially respond to the President's remark. However, there is little a state-owned airline could do when the country's President chooses to embarrass it in public. 

"The airline can tender an apology to the President or review its cashew procurement process. But, cashew nuts procurement is the least of SriLankan Airline's concerns at the moment," an aviation expert who did not wish to be quoted told Asian Mirror.