SRILANKAN Airlines said in a statement yesterday that all its flights to Europe were departing as scheduled, but that a contingency plan was in place should volcanic ash from Iceland’s Grimsvötn volcano sweep further into the region.
The carrier said its passengers to European destinations had been asked to check with the airline for the latest updates six hours before departure.
The volcano in Iceland, which began erupting last Saturday, caused European air traffic controllers to ground 252 flights yesterday, for fear that particles in the ash would stall jet engines and sandblast planes’ windows.
The British High Commission in Colombo released a statement saying that many flights to and from Scotland were cancelled yesterday.
Flights to and from Northern Ireland, Germany and Sweden have also been affected by expanding ash plume.
The High Commission advised British travellers in Sri Lanka and the Maldives to remain in close contact with their airlines and travel agents for latest developments and schedules, in case more flights were disrupted.
