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Sri Lanka contradicts flydubai on reason for suspension, date of resumption

13 Jul 2022

  • Aviation Authority claims flights suspended due to jet fuel issues
  • Claims will resume flights from next Monday
  • Flydubai had cited protests as reason behind suspension
  By Imesh Ranasinghe  The Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) claims that flydubai has temporarily suspended flights to Sri Lanka until 18 July due to refuelling issues amidst the fuel crisis in the country, while flydubai said on Monday (11) that it has suspended its flights to and from Sri Lanka until further notice with the escalation of protests. Speaking to The Morning Business, CAASL Chairman Upul Dharmadasa said that flydubai has informed the authorities that it will temporarily suspend flights to Sri Lanka till 18 July. Refuting claims that flydubai has suspended flights due to the escalation of protests in the country, he said that the suspension is due to the fuel crisis in the country, as the airline has found difficulties in refuelling flights in Sri Lanka. However, on Monday, Gulf News quoted a spokesperson from flydubai as saying that flights between Dubai and Colombo Airport (CMB) have been suspended from 10 July until further notice, after protests escalated in Sri Lanka. “We will continue to closely monitor the situation on the ground in Sri Lanka,” the spokesperson for flydubai had told Gulf News. The spokesperson also said that passengers who have booked tickets on the suspended flights will be contacted and offered a refund. Sri Lanka has been facing a massive jet fuel shortage, which has forced as many as 100 flights from SriLankan Airlines to be refuelled so far at the Trivandrum, Chennai, and Cochin airports in India, according to Bharat Petroleum.  According to Minister of Energy and Power Kanchana Wijesekara, a diesel shipment is set to arrive in Sri Lanka between 15 and 17 July, while a petrol shipment is due between 22 and 24 July.   


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