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Incoming flights to BIA confined to repat and cargo
Only repatriation and cargo flights are coming into the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), with seven passenger flights and 14 cargo planes landing every day, Airport and Aviation Services Chairman Major-General (Rtd) G.A. Chandrasiri said.
“We exported about 350 tonnes of cargo on Thursday,” he added.
All operations followed health guidelines and the only problem has been coordinating simultaneous landings, he said, but added that airport authorities are improving systems.
About 280 passengers are arriving on each repatriation flight.
Major-General Chandrasiri said no commercial flights were operating at BIA or Mattala Airport. Mattala’s primary activity is being used as a hub for seafarers to get to their ships, a practice that has continued throughout the pandemic, he said. Sailors fly into Mattala Airport from various countries and board ships anchored at Hambantota port.
Major-General Chandrasiri said he had not received any definite instructions on the resumption of normal airport operations. “I am, however, ready to act upon it as soon as I am called upon to do so,” he said.
He said that while normally both departing and arriving passengers would use the aerobridges and the walkway to Customs, arrivals are now directed through a separate area known as the red channel, where health protocols are strictly followed. Even when commercial flights begin again, arrivals would continue to be strictly separated from departing passengers, the airport chairman said. stringently.
Passengers are currently allowed to depart from the BIA provided all health protocols and requirements of their country of destination are followed.