SL to allow chartered flights to fly out tourists

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IANS | 26 Mar, 2020
Sri Lanka will allow chartered flights from any country to land here and to fly out their nationals who are currently in the island nation on a holiday or work on request, an official statement said on Thursday.

The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority statement said that as of Wednesday, there were 18,093 international tourists in the country according to local immigration authorities, and Sri Lanka Tourism was closely working with the Foreign Ministry and respective embassies and high commissions to arrange necessary facilities, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Though arrivals are suspended into the country, all departures are supported and SriLankan Airlines operates departure flights daily to UK, Melbourne and Narita," the statement said.

"Sri Lanka Tourism would facilitate any country to fly out their nationals on holiday or on work here, back to their home country via charter flights on request," it added.

Sri Lanka Tourism further said due to the current islandwide curfew, the police had assured that foreign nationals could use their air tickets as a curfew pass to reach the airport.

Sri Lanka's Civil Aviation Authority earlier this week banned international passenger flights from landing at the Bandaranaike International Airport, until further notice to prevent imported new cases of the COVID-19 into the country, but said departures would continue.

Sri Lanka has so far reported 102 confirmed coronavirus cases with no deaths.

A curfew in capital Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara, on the outskirts of Colombo and the northern province is in place indefinitely.