SriLankan Airlines has adopted an alternative flight route through Afghanistan and Azerbaijan for its European destinations following the closure of airspace across parts of the Middle East, an official said.
Airspace in much of the Middle East remains closed due to the escalating conflict that began after a joint attack by the United States and Israel on Iran. Iran has since launched strikes on US bases in the region, disrupting flight operations to and through several Middle Eastern countries.
Daminda Rambukwella, Director General of Civil Aviation and Chief Executive Officer, told the Daily Mirror that the change in route has increased flight times to destinations such as London by about one and a half hours. He said the payload — which includes the combined weight of passengers, baggage and cargo — had to be reduced due to the longer route.
Rambukwella also noted that only a limited number of non-scheduled flights are currently operating to cities in the Middle East as a result of the airspace closures. Only seven such flights were scheduled for yesterday.
When asked about the potential financial impact on the airline, he said the losses could be significant, although the exact amount has not yet been calculated.
Earlier, Ruwan Ranasinghe stated that the ongoing airspace closures have also begun to affect tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka.
