115 flights cancelled at BIA amid Middle East conflict

2026-03-02 - 02:48

A total of 115 flights scheduled to arrive at and depart from Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Katunayake, today (March 02) have been cancelled, the Airport Officer-in-Charge said. The cancellations are attributed to the ongoing war situation in the Middle East, which has led several countries in the region to close their airspace for security reasons. Accordingly, 55 inbound flights – including services operated by SriLankan Airlines and other foreign carriers, scheduled to arrive at BIA from Middle Eastern countries have been cancelled. In addition, 60 outbound flights bound for destinations within the Middle East have also been cancelled. Meanwhile, 02 aircraft operated by FitsAir and Air Arabia, which departed for Middle Eastern destinations on Feb. 28, were compelled to return to BIA due to the closure of the regional airspace. Head of Corporate Communications of SriLankan Airlines – Deepal Perera, stated that none of the airline’s aircraft are currently stranded in Middle Eastern countries as a result of the prevailing situation. BIA had earlier advised passengers travelling to Middle Eastern destinations, as well as those transiting through the region, to verify the status of their flights with their respective travel agents prior to arriving at the airport. In addition, the Department of Immigration and Emigration has granted a 07-day visa extension to foreign tourists currently in Sri Lanka whose visas have expired under these exceptional circumstances.