News

First commercial flight since pandemic arrives as Sri Lanka reopens borders

21 Jan, 2021

By Vyshnavy Velrajh

The first commercial flight since the coronavirus pandemic arrived today (21) as Sri Lanka reopened its borders for tourists.

Head of Corporate Communications at the Airport and Aviation Services Sri Lanka Ltd. Sumith de Silva told Colombo Gazette that 49 passengers were on the first flight.

He said this included two foreigners who were here on a work permit while the rest were Sri Lankans who arrived under the repatriation programme.

Sumith de Silva further said Oman Air WY ? 371 had landed at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake at 7.40 a.m. today.

Sri Lanka reopened its borders for tourism from today, after it was shut for nearly 10 months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Tourism Ministry has allocated nearly 53 hotels to operate as Level 1 quarantine hotels for the visiting tourists.

Special guidelines have been drafted for this purpose, with arrangements being made for tourists to move in special travel bubbles during their visit. (Colombo Gazette)

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