COLOMBO : Hundreds of passengers faced severe inconvenience yesterday October 1 morning when two SriLankan Airlines flights, scheduled to take off for Nepal and India, from the BIA, were cancelled due to technical problems.
Flight UL-180 scheduled to depart for Kathmandu, Nepal, at 8:20 a.m. was delayed and over 200 passengers were stranded including State Minister Sisira Jayakody.
Passengers boarded the flight at 7:15 a.m., but the plane remained grounded at the BIA until 11:00 a.m.
Subsequently, it was announced that another aircraft would be provided due to technical issues in the original plane. However, as the afternoon rolled on, this promise remained unfulfilled, leading to growing frustration among passengers, including Minister Jayakody.
The delay was attributed to the challenging topography of Nepal, known for its mountainous terrain and frequent fog, particularly in the evening, which hindered takeoff. Airport sources said due to these conditions, the flight was cancelled.
Jayakody expressed his concerns and said the Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has to bear the responsibility. He said a number of foreign tourists, including himself, were inconvenienced by the delay.
Airport authorities, when queried about the delay cited action taken by technical officers and trade unions as contributing factors. He assured passengers that efforts were underway to secure an alternative aircraft for the affected flight.
Meanwhile, another flight which was bound for Mumbai, in India in the morning, had also been cancelled due to a technical issue with the aircraft.
Following the cancellations passengers for the two flights were directed to hotels, an airline spokesman said.
Moreover, it is reported that other flights scheduled to arrive at BIA from destinations such as Trivandrum in India, Male in the Maldives, Chennai in India, Dhaka in Bangladesh, and Narita in Japan also experienced delays.BY T.K.G. Kapila – Katunayake[Ceylon Today
