Flydubai suspends flights to Sri Lanka till end of August

Dubai-based carrier Flydubai has cancelled flights to Sri Lanka till the end of August due to the latest crisis in the country.

According to a statement by the airline, “Flydubai flights between Dubai and Colombo Airport have been suspended from July 10 till the end of August and until further notice. We will continue to closely monitor the situation on the ground in Sri Lanka. The passengers who had booked their tickets will be refunded their money.”

Earlier, in an advisory, the UAE Embassy to Sri Lanka asked its citizens not to travel to the island nation. “Due to the current circumstances, the UAE Embassy in Colombo calls on citizens in Sri Lanka to take precautions and stay away from the demonstration areas, and contact the embassy in emergency cases. It also recommends that citizens wishing to travel to Sri Lanka postpone their travel,” it said in a statement on its website.

Sri Lanka is in the midst of a political and economic crisis. The country’s opposition parties are trying to cobble together an all-party government and pick candidates who can take over after president Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe agreed to step down, giving in to popular pressure in a country struggling to pay for essentials.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, 73, is set to resign on July 13 after months of street protests over surging prices and shortages of basic goods such as food or petrol. He will step down to allow for a smooth transfer of power, the parliament speaker announced on television late Saturday. The president left his residence before the protesters breached security and entered his official home and offices and his whereabouts are unknown.

Protesters set fire to Wickremesinghe’s private residence Saturday, hours after he said he would step down after holding the job for two months. Wickremesinghe is safe, his office said in a text message, without elaborating.

International Monetary Fund representatives said they plan to continue technical discussions with the finance ministry and the central bank. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US was closely watching the developments and urged the government to address popular discontent.

According to latest reports, Rajapaksa fled the country ahead of his expected resignation and arrived in Maldives on July 13, accompanied by his wife and two bodyguards.