Dubai: flydubai said it has suspended its Sri Lanka flights until further notice, after protests escalated in the South Asian country.
“flydubai flights between Dubai and Colombo Airport (CMB) have been suspended from July 10 until further notice,” said an airline spokesperson. “We will continue to closely monitor the situation on the ground in Sri Lanka.”
Sri Lanka has also been facing a massive jet fuel shortage, which is forcing airlines to fuel-up in other hubs before making the journey back. Emirates airline and Sri Lankan Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"Our flights to Colombo are currently operating as normal," said an Etihad Airways spokesperson.
“Passengers who have booked to travel on these flights will be contacted and offered a refund - we apologise for the inconvenience caused to our passengers’ travel schedules,” said the flydubai spokesperson.
The crisis
Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has informed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that he will resign, the prime minister’s office said on Monday, after tens of thousands of protesters stormed the official residences of both men.
Thousands of people had surrounded their homes to demand their resignation, blaming government mismanagement for an economic crisis that has subjected the island nation’s 22 million people to months of food and fuel shortages, lengthy blackouts, and galloping inflation.
