Air India scales down flights to Sri Lanka as demand plummets

New Delhi, April 3

Air India (AI) on Sunday said it will reduce its India-Sri Lanka services from 16 flights per week to 13 from April 9 due to poor demand in view of the worst economic crisis in the island nation.

With long lines for fuel, cooking gas, essentials in short supply and long hours of power cuts, the public in Sri Lanka has been suffering for weeks. A spokesperson for Air India, now owned by Tata Group, said: “At present, AI is operating 16 flights a week — seven daily flights from Delhi and nine flights a week from Chennai.”

In the new schedule, AI will be operating 13 flights per week, the spokesperson said.

While the frequency from Chennai will remain untouched, flights from Delhi will reduce from seven to four per week, the spokesperson said. “Four flights from Delhi instead of seven effective April 9 due to poor loads,” the spokesperson noted.

AI 283 on the Delhi-Colombo sector will now operate on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from April 8 to May 30.

AI 284 on the Colombo-Delhi sector will operate on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from April 9 to May 31.

The Sri Lankan government on Sunday blocked social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram after declaring a nationwide public emergency and imposing a 36-hour curfew ahead of a planned anti-government rally over the worst economic crisis in the island nation.

The move is aimed at preventing masses from gathering in Colombo to protest the government’s failure to provide relief to the public suffering from shortages of food, essential items, fuel and medicine amidst hours-long power cuts. The ban on social media was lifted later.

Revised schedule

• AI 283 on the Delhi-Colombo sector will now operate on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from April 8 to May 30
• AI 284 on the Colombo-Delhi sector will operate on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from April 9 to May 31
• The Sri Lankan government on Sunday blocked WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook after declaring a nationwide emergency; the ban was lifted later