No fresh requests to airlift remaining foreigners: CAASL

CAASL CEO and Director General H.M.C. Nimalsiri 

The Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) yesterday confirmed that no fresh applications have been received from countries or airlines to fly out foreign nationals who are currently in the country.

“This week, only Austria sought approval to fly out its nationals from the island via a special flight. Approval was granted, and a special Austrian Airlines flight took home their nationals from the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) last morning,” CAASL CEO and Director General H.M.C. Nimalsiri told the Daily FT.

He reiterated that there were no further requests from any other national carrier or charter flight operator to transport foreign nationals currently in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Tourism, in a statement yesterday, said arrangements have been made to depart 18,093 foreign tourists currently in the country via charter flights on request.

The CAASL said departure flights of SriLankan Airlines, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific and Oman Air are still operating and the foreign nationals on holiday or on work visas could still find a flight back home via connecting flights, if there are no further requests from charter flights or countries.

Sri Lanka previously received requests and approved special flights to Russia and Kazakhstan to airlift their nationals.

The BIA has been shut down for incoming passenger flights until 31 March.