Aeroflot, Russia’s largest airline, founded in 1923, is one of the oldest and most active airlines in the world.
The airline commenced flights to Sri Lanka in 1964 and was the second largest airline that operated in Colombo. The airline company has set up an office in Colombo as well.
An Aeroflot aircraft Airbus A330, arrived in Sri Lanka on 2nd June 2022 and was scheduled to retuned to Moscow on the same day along with 275 passengers but the said flight was postponed until Friday 3rd June 2022.
The flight was once again postponed on Friday. Local media reported that a Commercial Court in Colombo had stopped the aircraft from leaving the country until at least the 16th of June due to a legal complaint lodged by Ireland’s Celestial Aviation Trading Limited.
Thereafter, Aeroflot decided to not only suspend flights to Sri Lanka but also to temporarily suspended the sale of tickets to Colombo.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has through the Ministry of Tourism, informed Russia that the issue on the aircraft is a private legal issue and not an issue between the two nations.
Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva mentioned that discussions were held with the Russian Embassy and Russian Aeroflot where he informed the Embassy that the Sri Lankan government was not in a position to interfere in the judiciary process.
The flight in concern left the shores of the island in the morning on the 5th of June.
