A flight bound for Toronto, Canada, was cancelled Thursday evening after a young child refused to secure their seatbelt, Porter Airlines has said.

Flight PD444 from Victoria International Airport in B.C. to Toronto’s Pearson International Airport did not take off as a safety precaution, a spokesperson for Porter Airlines told CBC Toronto in a statement Saturday.

The aircraft left the terminal and headed to the runway for departure but a young child standing in their seat did not secure their seatbelt, despite attempts by the accompanying parent and cabin crew, Brad Cicero said.

The unsafe situation meant the aircraft could not take off, so flight attendants opted to return to the terminal and disembark passengers, he added.

The time required to bridge the aircraft, deplane the child and parent, retrieve their baggage and refile paperwork meant the plane would have departed too late, according to Cicero, who said Victoria’s airport runway closes at 12:30 a.m.

“We apologize for the effect this had on other passengers, who were able to depart on a flight the following day,” Cicero said.

The aircraft departed the following afternoon, Cicero said. (CBC)

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Seventy-four years after a Pan Am flight crashed into the water off Puerto Rico, killing 52 people and prompting sweeping reforms including preflight passenger safety briefings, an aviation search team has found the wreckage sitting on the ocean floor.

The Air/Sea Heritage Foundation, in partnership with others including the Discovery Channel’s “Expedition Unknown” show, last month found the wreckage of the Pan Am “Clipper Endeavor” at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean off Puerto Rico’s northern coast, Discovery said in a release Tuesday.

The discovery, which involved an autonomous underwater drone, ends decades of mystery about precisely where the Douglas DC-4 aircraft came to rest after crashing into the ocean shortly after it took off from Puerto Rico on April 11, 1952, with 64 passengers and five crew members aboard.

Although all passengers survived the initial impact, only 17 people would be rescued, and the rest would be lost with the quickly sinking plane – a result that investigators would blame in part on a lack of safety briefings and that would spur changes in the aviation industry.

“We are all stunned and elated by this discovery yet also humbled to remember what happened in that place so long ago,” Russ Matthews, president and co-founder of the Air/Sea Heritage Foundation, said in the release.

NBC first reported the discovery on the “Today” show Tuesday morning.

The search team, which also involved the Deep Sea Vision company, used high-resolution sonar to locate the wreckage on the ocean floor some 2,000 feet below the surface on June 2, the release said.

By chance, a research vessel with one of the world’s most leading-edge sonar systems had passed right through the team’s narrowed search zone and agreed to stop for 48 hours to help with the search.

“It went down for about 30 hours and scanned the sea floor in our target area, came back to the surface, and there it was,” said Josh Gates, a host of Discovery Channel’s “Expedition Unknown.” 

The craft was broken into two sections. A follow-up photographic survey conclusively identified the plane, with images clearly showing the iconic winged Pan American logo and aircraft name still legible, according to Discovery’s release.

Discovery Channel intends to cover the finding in an “Expedition Unknown” episode later this year. Discovery Channel, like CNN, is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.

There are no plans to recover the wreckage or disturb it in any way, a spokesperson for “Expedition Unknown” told CNN, noting the site is a grave for those who died in the crash.

The Air/Sea Heritage Foundation is now working with the government of Puerto Rico to expand protections for the wreckage site and is advocating for a memorial honoring those lost in the crash, according to the release.

Families directly impacted by the tragedy and the crash’s only two known living survivors have also been contacted, the release said.

Crash led to aviation changes

The plane, which was bound for New York, lost both right-side engines shortly after takeoff, according to the Pan Am Historical Foundation, forcing the pilot to conduct a violent water landing minutes later.

The aircraft had life rafts and personal flotation devices for all aboard, according to the Pan Am foundation. But confusion ensued in part because no safety briefing was given, there was a language barrier, and no coordinated evacuation procedure was in place, Discovery said in its release. The plane sank in less than three minutes, Discovery said.

Though the US Coast Guard and Air Force sprang into action to save 12 passengers and five crew members, Discovery said, the other 52 people aboard died.

The two known survivors still alive today are a woman, now 102 years old, who was a nurse in her 20s and instrumental in opening the aircraft door to let passengers out, and a baby, found floating on the surface of the water, who was resuscitated by rescuers, according to Gates. Both were very emotional and gratified when they were told that wreck had finally been found, Gates told CNN’s Boris Sanchez.

In a report on the 1952 crash, the Civil Aeronautics Board, a predecessor of today’s Federal Aviation Administration, proposed amendments to the civil air regulations “to assure a greater degree of safety to the occupants of aircraft flying over water routes.”

Proposals that were implemented included preflight briefings for passengers on where to find and how to use life vests, life rafts and emergency exits.

“Having had the cabin crew establish their authoritative position before a flight would make both their task and their message more effective when it mattered most,” Doug Miller, with the Pan Am Historical Foundation, told CNN. 

“Eyewitness accounts of the tragedy indicated that the passengers refused to understand the gravity of their situation, despite what they were hearing from the crew.”

“Every time you step onboard an airplane today, you are safer because of what happened to ‘Clipper Endeavor’ and her passengers three quarters of a century ago,” Gates said in the company’s release. (CNN)

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A K2 Airways Boeing 737-400 cargo aircraft flying from Sharjah to Karachi was reported missing over the Arabian Sea late on Tuesday, according to the Pakistan Airports Authority and the Aviation Safety Network. 

The aircraft was last recorded 155 nautical miles off Karachi after reporting a navigation problem, PAA said.

The aircraft, operating as flight KTA1732 and registered AP-BOI, was carrying five crew members. It had reported a navigation system fault to air traffic controllers shortly before contact was lost, the PAA said in a statement.

Fault Reported Minutes Before Descent

The crew alerted Karachi’s Area Control Centre to a navigational issue at around 9.18pm Pakistan Standard Time (2118 PST), while roughly 155 nautical miles from the city. Controllers guided the aircraft and instructed it to maintain its heading.

Three minutes later, at 9.21pm (2121 PST), radar showed the aircraft making a sudden change of heading paired with a rapid loss of altitude, according to PAA. Radar contact and all communication were lost shortly afterwards at the same distance west of Karachi. 

Descent Rate Confirmed by Tracking Data

Its final recorded data point placed the aircraft at approximately 1,100ft above mean sea level. Flightradar24 said preliminary ADS-B data indicated a possible crash in the sea southwest of Karachi. The PAA has described the descent as rapid but has not released an official figure for the rate of descent; some unverified reports online have cited specific numbers, though these have not been confirmed by PAA, Flightradar24 or the Aviation Safety Network. The aircraft, along with others in the region, had experienced GNSS interference shortly after departure from Sharjah, which briefly degraded tracking data before signal was restored.

The Aviation Safety Network separately confirmed the aircraft as missing 155 nautical miles off Karachi, citing initial reports of the navigation problem.

Navy and Air Force Deployed to Search Area

The PAA said its Rescue Coordination Centre was activated immediately and that a search and rescue operation involving multiple agencies had begun at sea. No details on the crew’s condition had been released at the time of writing.

Pakistan Strategic Forum, an open-source defence and aviation monitoring account, reported that the naval vessel PNS Zulfiqar had been diverted to the search area. It added that a Pakistan Air Force Saab surveillance aircraft had launched from Bolhari, alongside a Navy ATR-72 from Turbat and the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation vessel Lahore.

Officials have not confirmed whether the aircraft crashed. The cause of the reported fault and the loss of contact remains under investigation. 

Cargo flights like KTA1732 form part of the routine air link between the Gulf and Pakistan, carrying freight rather than passengers, but a missing aircraft still triggers the same scale of naval and air force response as any other emergency at sea. The GNSS interference reported in the region shortly before contact was lost is likely to feature in any formal investigation, an issue that has affected other flights in Gulf airspace recently. (International Business Times)

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The Ministry of Civil Aviation has announced special concessions for the flight tickets of travellers stranded in Sri Lanka due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East Region. 

Minister of Civil Aviation Anura Karunathilake said several passengers were forced to reschedule their flights due to the cancellation of flights or completely cancel their flight tickets as a result of the conflict.

Addressing the media, he further said that special arrangements have been made to help stranded passengers reimburse their ticket cost or book new flight tickets.

“No additional charges will be acquired from the stranded passengers. Passengers can receive the full amount in the event of ticket cancellations, while they can also book new flight tickets without having to pay any additional charges. All airlines have consented to this arrangement,” he said. 

Several flights have been cancelled due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East region, severely affecting several passengers, including those in Sri Lanka. (Newswire)

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Jetstar has announced that its aircraft will take off for the first time from Australia to Sri Lanka in August next year, with the launch of the only direct low-cost service from Melbourne to the South Asian nation’s capital, Colombo. 

According to the Airline, from 25 August 2026, Jetstar will become the first Australian airline to operate this route, flying three times a week between Melbourne and Colombo and offering more than 100,000 low-fare seats a year on the new route. 

Upgraded aircraft 

This year-round service will be operated by Jetstar’s fleet of 11 widebody Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which are progressively being upgraded from early next year to overhaul both the economy and business class cabins. 

The interior refit includes more than doubling the number of business class seats and installing Wi-Fi so customers can stream entertainment to their own devices. 

The addition of a new lie-flat crew rest area to allow flights of up to 16 hours will open the door to even more incredible long-haul destinations in the future. The first of the upgraded aircraft is due to touchdown in Melbourne in late March 2026.  

Sale fares  

The countdown is on to these new flights going on sale at midday (AEDT) today (08 Dec). 

At that time, Jetstar will launch a 24-hour Route Launch Sale with one-way fares available between Melbourne (Tullamarine) and Colombo from only $315^ at jetstar.com. 

The launch of Melbourne to Colombo flights comes during one of the most exciting growth periods in Jetstar’s almost 22-year history.  

Over the past two years, the airline has announced 26 new routes and welcomed 13 new aircraft, allowing travellers to take off more, for less.  2025 has been a standout year, with 14 new routes announced, nine of them international, with more exciting growth plans in the coming years.  

This year, the Melbourne-based carrier is also celebrating 10 years of operating domestically from Melbourne’s T4, having carried more than 50 million customers through the terminal. 

Jetstar CEO, Stephanie Tully, said the airline’s Melbourne to Colombo route will give Australians a new, direct and affordable way to take off more to Sri Lanka.  

“Colombo is an incredible destination, and from August next year, we’re excited to be making it easier for Aussies to experience everything the beautiful country of Sri Lanka has to offer. 

“This new route out of our home base of Melbourne is part of a huge growth phase for Jetstar. We’ve added new destinations, more aircraft, and we’re continuing to expand our international network to give travellers even more choice and opportunities to take off for less.” 

Flight schedules valid from 25 August – 03 Oct 2026

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Two Chinese nationals were arrested yesterday (25) by the Katunayake Airport Police for stealing foreign currency worth Rs. 483,855 from a Buddhist monk on an aircraft in transit, it was reported.

According to reports, the victim, Ven. Digalle Mahinda Thero, a teacher by profession residing at a temple in Peradeniya, had arrived at Katunayake Airport on Etihad Airways flight EY-392 from Abu Dhabi at 10:05 a.m. on 25 November.

While the aircraft was airborne over Katunayake, the monk had gone to the restroom. At that moment, two Chinese nationals approached his seat and accessed his travel bag kept in the overhead rack. When the monk returned, the suspects fled, and he did not immediately check further.

Upon landing at Katunayake, during customs clearance, the monk discovered that his foreign currency was missing. The stolen amount included 250 Euros, 100 Sterling Pounds, 250 US Dollars, and 3,850 Malaysian Ringgit.

The monk lodged a complaint with the Airport Police, who reviewed CCTV footage. The suspects were seen leaving the airport in a three-wheeler. With the assistance of the airport’s three-wheeler associations, police identified the vehicle and arrested the two suspects along with the stolen money.

Investigations revealed that the suspects had planned to use the stolen cash for casino gambling in Colombo today (26). The arrested individuals are aged 31 and 58.

Further investigations are being conducted by the Katunayake Airport Police, and the suspects are scheduled to be produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today (26). (Newswire)

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A Saudi national who is alleged to have assaulted and injured a flight attendant aboard a SriLankan Airlines aircraft has been sentenced to three months in prison after admitting guilt in court. 

However, Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama today (03) suspended the sentence for five years.

The suspect was charged by airport police with three counts, including assault causing injury and intimidation. In addition to the prison sentence, a fine of Rs. 10,000 was imposed.

Presenting details of the incident, the airport police informed the court that the assault occurred on October 26 aboard a SriLankan Airlines flight travelling from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to the Katunayake Airport.

Investigating officers further stated that the flight attendant had instructed all passengers to fasten their seatbelts as the aircraft was preparing to land, but the suspect had disregarded the instruction, engaged in a verbal altercation with the attendant, and proceeded to physically assault her. (Newswire)

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A Sri Lankan passenger has been arrested for allegedly sexually harassing an air hostess of an Emirates Airline flight bound to the Katunayake Airport. 

It is reported that the man, who had sexually harassed a 39-year-old South African woman, was arrested upon arrival at the Katunayake Airport.

The Police said the 49-year-old man, who works as a ship captain, is a resident of the Jaffna area.

The suspect had been heavily intoxicated and had sexually harassed the flight attendant onboard the flight travelling from Dubai to the Katunayake Airport yesterday. 

The flight attendant had proceeded to immediately inform the pilot, after which the passenger was arrested by the police with the assistance of airport security officers upon arrival at the Katunayake Airport. 

After this passenger was presented to the Negombo Forensic Medical Examiner, it was confirmed that he was drunk.

The suspect is scheduled to be produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court today. (Newswire)

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A Swedish national has been fined Rs. 26,500 by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court after pleading guilty to attempting to sexually harass a flight attendant during a flight.

The order was issued by Colombo Additional Magistrate Harshana Kekunawela.

When the case was taken up today, President’s Counsel Priyantha Nawana, appearing on behalf of the accused, told the court that his client regrets the incident and is remorseful. He further stated that the accused was under the influence of alcohol at the time and had no criminal intent.

Considering the submissions, the Magistrate imposed a fine of Rs. 26,500. The court also ordered a one-month suspended jail term if the fine is not paid.

The suspect was arrested by airport police and produced before the court. (Newswire)

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Victoria Police arrested a teenager at Avalon Airport (AVV) after he attempted to board a flight carrying a loaded shotgun.

The incident occurred on the afternoon of March 6, 2025, when the 17-year-old tried to board flight JQ 610 bound for Sydney.

Passengers on the flight who witnessed the incident said the teenager was dressed in high-visibility reflective gear, and seemed to be trying to pass himself off as airport or aircraft maintenance.

One of the passengers, Barry Clark, a former shearer and boxer, told Australian news outlet The Age that he and other passengers became suspicious after an onboard announcement said checks had been completed, yet the teenager, who was dressed looking like an aircraft maintenance engineer and mechanic, remained onboard.

When a flight attendant questioned the teenager, Clark noticed the shotgun barrel by the teen’s side.

Clark then sprung into action and tried to safely seize the weapon. He was soon joined by a pilot. Video footage of the moment was captured by other passengers and uploaded to various social media channels, including X.

The teenager was held on the ground until police arrived. Officers then took him into custody for questioning. 

Superintendent Michael Reid told ABC News that the teenager acted alone and had entered Avalon Airport via a hole in a security fence.

A spokesperson for Avalon Airport said the matter was being handled by police, and the airport would be closed until further notice.

Watch : https://www.instagram.com/p/DG2RvyJyQ3r/(Aerotime)

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Swiss airline, Edelweiss Air, resumed scheduled seasonal flight operations to Sri Lanka for the winter season, with the first flight carrying 221 passengers arriving at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake at 9.25 am today.

The inaugural flight was ceremonially welcomed with a water salute by Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Pvt. Limited (AASL).

According to the AASL, Edelweiss commenced operations of its A340-300 to Colombo on October 31 and will continue until May 9, 2025. Edelweiss has also announced that it will operate two direct flights to Colombo in the 2025 winter.

The new connection offers a convenient direct flight for travellers from Colombo to the heart of Europe, with many onward flight options from Zurich connecting to Europe, North America, and beyond with Swiss International Airlines.

Edelweiss is wholly owned by Swiss International Airlines and is part of the Lufthansa Group. It operates direct flights to Europe, North America, and beyond with Swiss International Airlines from its hub at Zurich Airport.

Flights are booked under the SWISS International and Lufthansa codeshare partnership, operated by Edelweiss (WK). The airline offers a premium onboard experience across all classes, with a total capacity of 314 seats (27 business, 76 premium economy, and 211 economy).

Founded in 1995 and named after the Edelweiss flower, a symbol of Switzerland known for its resilience and beauty, the airline is committed to quality and customer satisfaction and has established itself as a prominent player in the aviation industry.

Last year, from 3rd November 2023 to 17th May 2024, Edelweiss Flight carried over 5500 passengers to Sri Lanka and lifted more than 3100 passengers. 

“We are grateful to Swiss International Airlines, operated by Edelweiss, for its remarkable contribution to the aviation and tourism industries in Sri Lanka during the season. We are happy to welcome back Edelweiss to our skies, and we thank United Ventures (Pvt) Ltd. for their wonderful support and collaboration as the GSA for Lufthansa Group in Sri Lanka,” AASL said in a statement. (Newswire)

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Government Spokesman Vijitha Herath says that the recent bomb scares on Indian flights are suspected to be attempts of sabotage.

Addressing the post-Cabinet Media briefing held today, Minister Vijitha Herath revealed that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and State Intelligence Service (SIS) were probing the matter. 

He further said that the National Security Council is also scheduled to convene today for a discussion on the continuous flight bomb scares.

According to Indian Media, in 14 days, more than 350 flights operated by Indian carriers have received hoax bomb threats.

The most recent bomb scare related to a Sri Lankan-bound flight was reported yesterday at the Katunayake Airport. 

An Indian aircraft made an emergency landing at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) last afternoon due to a bomb threat, marking the third such incident in recent days.

Similar bomb threats were also reported on October 19 and 24, where two Vistara flights from Mumbai to Katunayake were also forced to make emergency landings. (Newswire) 

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The Management of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake today declared a full emergency in response to another reported bomb scare on a Vistara flight from Mumbai to Colombo.

Issuing a statement, the BIA Management said that the flight was scheduled to arrive at 15:15 hrs today (Oct 24) and a nonspecific call on a bomb threat had been reported to the flight before landing.

Accordingly, the security agencies and relevant authorities adopted all precautionary and preventive measures in line with the protocol. 

The flight with 107 passengers, one infant, and 8 crew onboard landed safely at the airport at 14:55 hrs. All passengers were swiftly evacuated from the aircraft to the passenger terminal building, and the safety of all passengers was assured.

The BIA management noted that the Airport & Aviation Services Sri Lanka Private Ltd, together with all other authorities responsible for security, followed the standard protocols established for such incidents and ensured the safety and security of all passengers and crew.

“We hereby inform our valued passengers and airport users that flight operations at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) continue as usual without any disruption to the airport’s normal operations. We sincerely regret any inconvenience this situation may have caused to our valued guests and airport users and appreciate their understanding,” it added.

Meanwhile, Indian media reported that over 85 flights have received fresh threats within a span of 24 hours. 

According to the latest tally, these threats targeted 20 flights from Air India, 20 from Indogo, 20 from Vistara and another 25 from Akasa Airlines.

In little over a week, more than 170 flights operated by the Indian carriers have received bomb threats. (Newswire)

A Vistara flight arriving from Mumbai was checked for a bomb scare at Katunayake Airport in Sri Lanka today. Nearly 250 Indian flights reportedly received fake bomb threats in last 10 days according to Indian media pic.twitter.com/CZZSsnc3qx

— NewsWire (@NewsWireLK) October 24, 2024

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Thirty passengers were injured after a flight from Madrid to Uruguay was hit by “strong turbulence”, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing in Brazil, Spanish airline Air Europa said.

“Our flight UX045 bound for Montevideo has been diverted to the Natal airport (in Brazil) due to strong turbulence,” Air Europa said in a post on X.

“The plane has landed normally and those who sustained different types of injuries are already being treated.”

The aircraft hit by turbulence was a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. The plane has the capacity to hold up to 339 passengers, according to Air Europa’s website.

“From one moment to the next, the plane destabilized and went into a dive. The people who didn’t have seat belts went up in the air and hit the ceiling, and they got hurt – those who had seat belts on, not so much,” one of the passengers, Maximiliano, told Reuters.

Another passenger, Stevan, told the news agency: “There are passengers with fractures and injuries to their arms, faces and legs. There are about 30 people injured. It was a pretty horrible feeling; we thought we were going to die there, but thank God it didn’t happen.”

The Spanish airline said another plane was set to depart later on Monday (Tuesday) from Madrid and pick up the passengers stranded in Brazil to continue their journey to Uruguay.

Air Europa added that anyone who needed healthcare was being treated in Brazil’s Natal International Airport.

The news comes as the latest development in a string of bad publicity for the airplane manufacturer Boeing.

While there’s no evidence so far that the injuries on the Air Europa flight had anything to do with a safety malfunction, Boeing has recently faced a series of whistleblowers alleging safety issues at the company.

Just last week, a whistleblower came forward alleging parts of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner planes were built in an unsafe manner – potentially leading to “devastating consequences.” A previous whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, a Boeing engineer, said he found and reported similar gaps in 787 and 777 aircraft.

For nearly two years starting in 2021, the FAA and Boeing halted deliveries of the new Dreamliners while it looked into the gaps. Boeing said it made changes in its manufacturing process and deliveries ultimately resumed.

More than a dozen whistleblowers have come forward against Boeing in recent years, and the number has grown substantially since a door plug blew off a 737 Max plane in January just after takeoff, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the plane.

The FAA has opened multiple investigations into Boeing and the US Department of Justice said it may file criminal charges against the company because of its ongoing quality and safety failures. (CNN)

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It’ll likely take a long time for the passengers and air travel industry to recover from the shock of the Singapore Airlines flight last week that experienced turbulence that led to one death and dozens hospitalized, but the bulk of the damage was done in less than five seconds, according to a preliminary investigation by Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau.

A summary of the inquiry’s initial findings released on Wednesday revealed that a severe change in gravitational force, which took just 4.6 seconds and resulted in a 178-ft. altitude drop, “likely caused the injuries to the crew and passengers.”

The SQ321 flight traveling from London to Singapore on May 20, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members, was flying as “normal” until it passed over the south of Myanmar at an altitude of 37,000 ft. and began to experience “slight vibration.”

For about 19 seconds, while the aircraft was encountering this initial turbulence likely caused by an updraft, it rose “uncommanded” by about 362 ft., which “autopilot” attempted to correct by pitching the plane downwards. At the same time, the pilots, the report said, observed an “uncommanded” increase in airspeed, which they responded to by extending the speed brakes. The report added that, at this time, “it was heard that a pilot called out that the fasten seat belt sign had been switched on.”

About eight seconds later, the plane experienced a “rapid change” in gravitational force (G) as the recorded vertical acceleration decreased from +1.35G to -1.5G in the span of 0.6 seconds. “This likely resulted in the occupants who were not belted up to become airborne,” the report stated.

Over the next 4 seconds, the gravitational force changed again from -1.5G to +1.5G, which the report said “likely resulted in the occupants who were airborne to fall back down.” By the end of the 4.6-second period of drastic changes in G, the plane had dropped to an altitude of 37,184 ft.

The pilots tried to stabilize the aircraft, which continued to experience more turbulence albeit less severe, by “disengaging the autopilot” and “manually controlling” it for 21 seconds before the plane returned to its normal altitude about a minute after the initial turbulence was encountered. 

Around 17 minutes later, after it was made clear that there were injuries necessitating medical attention, the pilots initiated the plane’s descent for an emergency landing at Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. As of Wednesday, 42 passengers who were on board the flight are still in Bangkok, including 26 who are still receiving treatment in hospital, Singapore Airlines said in a statement.

Investigations are ongoing. In a separate statement, Singapore Airlines, which announced earlier that it is revising its inflight seatbelt policy, said it “acknowledges” the transport safety bureau’s preliminary findings and is “fully cooperating” with all relevant authorities. (Time)

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Several SriLankan Airlines flights at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake have been delayed or cancelled. 

According to the SriLankan Airlines Spokesman, seven (07) flights at the BIA have been delayed.

The delayed SriLankan Airlines flights were bound for overseas destinations.

Meanwhile, News1st has reported, citing the Chairman of SriLankan Airlines, that three SriLankan Airlines flights scheduled for today (Feb 27) have been cancelled. (NewsWire)

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The Airport and Aviation Services Sri Lanka (Private) Limited (AASL) says Sri Lanka’s aviation recovery is fast approaching pre-pandemic levels.

According to the AASL, passenger movements rose by approximately 20% at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and flight movements recorded a growth of 7% in Q1 of 2023 compared to Q1 of 2022.

Substantial growth has been observed in both passenger and flight movements when comparing the first quarter of 2023 to the same period in 2022.

Passenger movements at its main gateway (BIA), recorded a growth of 20%, with an increase from 1,374,130 to 1,651,039. 

Similarly, flight movements marked a growth rate of 7%, escalating from 9,357 to 10,018, the AASL stated.

The AASL further stated that at present, BIA facilitates over 18,000 passenger movements while providing services for around 120 aircraft movements daily. 

“BIA had facilitated 9.95 million passengers in 2019 and 62,195 aircraft movements before the global pandemic. BIA continues to create a happy journey for its travellers, elevating the passenger experience to new heights,” the AASL added. (NewsWire)

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