Local Airline Starts Seafarer Flights to Sri Lanka

Meanwhile, local airline AirAsia Philippines has started its seafarer repatriation flights to Sri Lanka’s Mattala Airport. The first AirAsia Phillippines charter had landed at Mattala Airport on August 9. Another flight, carrying 14 Filipino seafarers meanwhile left the Sri Lankan airport the next day, August 10.

Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd. (AASL) had been facilitating crew changes with ships calling at Galle Harbhour in the South or to regular callers in Colombo. Over 50 repatriation and seafarer flights have been operated out of Mattala since the last week of June. The crew changes are carried out according to guidelines of Sri Lanka Health Authorities.

“Since the COVID-19 pandemic has been controlled within the country, Sri Lanka has been able to come to the aid of the international shipping community by being a safe location for facilitating the change of ship crew, which is critical for the safe operation of ships,” AASL said.