Flying out? Be at the airport 5 hrs ahead!
View(s):SriLankan Airlines, in a flurry of advisories to travel agents, said all passengers flying out must check in at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) five hours prior to departure – instead of the usual 2-3 hours – to avoid queues or delays during January 6 to April 6 when urgent renovations are effected to the runway.
The airline said check-in counters will close 90 minutes prior to flight departure and noted that passengers can check in online, or via the mobile application or automated kiosk and thereafter to proceed to the baggage drop area.
SriLankan also said that during the 3-month period, flights UL868 and UL866 to Beijing and Shanghai will be routed via Mattala and also re-numbered as UL1868 and UL1866. The stopover in Mattala will be for periods ranging from approximately 4-5 hours.
Lounge facilities will be provided for Business Class passengers and all passengers will receive meals/meal vouchers at Mattala. The airline said passengers are also welcome to board these flights at Mattala. In the meantime, the embarkation tax for departing passengers has been revised to Rs. 7,000 per person from January 1, up from Rs 4,250.
The Foreign Employment Bureau (FEB) said, due to the airport renovations, it was closing its Foreign Employment registration counter at the airport until further notice from today (January 1). The FEB said registrations can be made at the head office or FEB’s provincial offices.