Repatriation flights resume

Repatriation flights resumed on Friday (July 31) and the first, an Emirates flight from Dubai, arrived at 11.45 p.m. at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Katunayake, said Airport and Aviation Service Ltd. (AASL) Vice Chairman Rajeewasiri Sooriyaarachchi.

Some other passengers come on cargo flights after obtaining prior approval from the Civil Aviation Authority as also a limited number of diplomats, it is learnt. Three to six cargo flights arrive per day.

Mr. Sooriyaarachchi said that Qatar Airways has daily departure flights from the BIA; Etihad and Emirates twice a week; China Eastern Airlines once a week; and SriLankan Airlines flies to Male, London and Tokyo infrequently.

Meanwhile, the RT-PCR tests of some arrivals at the BIA are conducted at the laboratory set up at the domestic terminal.

“Since arrivals are currently restricted, around 20-30 tests are done daily and the reports issued within 6-8 hours, while these people are at quarantine locations. No money is charged for the testing,” said Mr. Sooriyaarachchi, explaining that the BIA laboratory with two RT-PCR machines set up on July 9 is manned by staff from the Medical Research Institute (MRI).

The capacity of 100 tests of the machines is to be enhanced to enable 500 tests shortly.

With regard to undergoing quarantine, AASL Chairman Major-General (Retd.) G.A. Chandrasiri added that passengers could either choose to go to a designated hotel or quarantine centre for their quarantine. SriLankan Airlines crew members quarantine in designated hotels at no cost but foreign crew members are charged for their stay. Diplomats should bring with them a negative report of an RT-PCR test done within 72 hours prior to their arrival after which they go into self-quarantine arranged by their missions here.