Airlines not yet ready to take on night skies

03 Jul '07

2 min read

Sri Lankan Airlines states they are not comfortable operating at night unless due assurance is given by the Government and insurance agents.

In an exclusive interview with Fibre2fashion, Peter Hill, CEO, said, “To resume 24 hour operation at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Sri Lankan Airlines will need an assurance from the Government that the skies of Colombo are safe for night time operations and our insurers are prepared to provide us with the necessary insurance cover to do so”.

The Government has now lifted regulations against night time operations at the Sri Lankan International airport.

The 24 hour operation coming into effect from July 1, was announced a couple of weeks ago to enable airlines to reschedule their night flights into Colombo. Security authorities also have confirmed that assertive action has been taken to protect the airport.

The situation continues to remain a top concern for the country's national carrier and other airlines flying in. The international airport has come under attack on several occasions previously and had been forced to request flights to turn back when such incidents occurred.

Sri Lankan Airlines had made substantial losses in terms of revenue due to Airport Handling and Catering revenue drop since foreign airlines' canceling or reducing their flights to avoid night operations at the BIA, said Peter Hill.

The security situation has also clearly affected upon the national carrier's plans to expand its flight operations to other destinations.