Emirates, Singapore Airlines resume flights to Sri Lanka

Emirates Airlines have decided to resume operations to Sri Lanka and stated that they would be operating their flights per schedule from May 4. Singapore Airlines indicated as well that it would be resuming its interrupted operations to Colombo once again. President of Emirates Airlines, Timothy C. Clark, in an interview at the opening day of the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai said there would be no reduction of their flights to Colombo. The airline, which also manages SriLankan Airlines (and owns a third of it), operates 17 flights a week to Colombo. Tamil Tiger aircraft bombed the Katunayake Military Airbase on Colombo airport in their first attack a month ago. Later, they bombed a military installation in Jaffna killing six government soldiers. The latest attack was on the Kolonnawa oil refinery and Kerawalapitiya oil storage site on 30 April during the World Cup Cricket celebrations. Meanwhile Cathay Pacific, which suspended flights to Colombo on 30 April, will operate flights to Colombo during daylight hours on 3rd and 4th May, to assist their passengers stranded there. “Cathay will operate special relief flights to assist passengers and the office in Colombo assures all passengers that they will do whatever is possible to help them and requests them to contact the Colombo office before leaving for the airport,” a statement said. Cathay, in a statement to the media, assured passengers already booked on cancelled Cathay flights, that refunds would be made on tickets purchased, waiving all charges. Related Story