Aeroflot again cancels flights to Sri Lanka

Aeroflot Airlines has notified partners about the cancellation of the flight program to Colombo from the beginning of September till the end of October 2019. The carrier offers passengers a refund, tour operators are looking for alternative flights.  The flights from Moscow to Colombo were canceled from September 6 to October 26, 2019. “From October 27 until the end of the program, the flights will be scheduled,” tour operator Paks says. The airline did not report the reasons of cancelation the flight program.  

Aeroflot flights (in fact, they are operated by its subsidiary, Rossia Airlines) to Colombo are the only direct scheduled flights to Sri Lanka in the summer season (charters to Sri Lanka start flying only since October 26).  In the current summer season, Aeroflot cancels the flight program in Colombo for the second time. In May, the carrier announced that flights were canceled from May 11 to July 2019. In July, the flight program was resumed. Tour operators connected the temporary cancellation of the flights with low loading of the boards. 

Tour operator Russian Express offers two options to tourists: connecting flights with other foreign airlines, as well as the possibility of changing destination or canceling without fee. “All tourists have chosen the first option - they will fly to Sri Lanka with connecting flights,” says Anna Filatovskaya, the director of the Russian Express advertising and PR department.  “We offer all flight options on flights of foreign carriers with transfers. At the moment, all tourists agree to an alternative,” the representative of Paks reported. 

In the winter season, another direct flight from Russia will fly to Colombo: tour operator Anex Tour announced the launching of a charter program on the destination.