SriLankan Airlines has announced big schedule changes due to urgent maintenance work needed at Colombo airport.
For a three month period between January 6 and April 6, 2017 the airport’s sole runway will be closed from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm daily.
That will mean the cancellation of six flights and the rescheduling of an additional 10.
It is expected to cost the national airline about $50 million in lost revenue.
Flights to and from Singapore, Chennai, Trichy, Male, Cochin and Bangalore will be cancelled.
Other services including Beijing, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur and London will be retimed.
Passengers with confirmed tickets for the affected flights have been asked to contact the airline or their travel agent for alternative arrangements.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan has moved to reassure customers that the carrier is ‘safe to fly’ after an ‘inebriated’ pilot was stopped after showing up for work to operate a flight at Frankfurt.
"Safety was never compromised. No crew member will fly with a pilot who they think is not in a state to fly. They will always report it," Captain Ranga Amadoru said at a media briefing.
The pilot has been suspended after failing a breathalyzer test.
