Aeroflot aircraft matter, a private legal issue: Sri Lankan PM

Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed Russian authorities that the Aeroflot aircraft issue is not an issue between two countries but a private legal issue.

A spokesman from the Prime Minister's office said that Wickremesinghe had done the discussion on the issue with the secretary ministry of foreign affairs and advised him on what should be done, Daily Mirror reported.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement that the commercial High Court of the Western Province issued an Enjoining Order on the Aeroflot flight restraining it from taking off from Bandaranaike International Airport.

"The case relates to a commercial dispute between the Plaintiff, Celestial Aviation Trading 10 Limited an Irish Company against the first Defendant the Public Joint Stock Company "Aeroflot '' and the second Defendant, Mr. N. C Abeywardene/Acting Head of Air Navigation/Airport and Aviation Services of Sri Lanka (AASL), Katunayake," the statement said.

The matter is still pending in courts and is consulted through normal diplomatic channels, the statement reads.

A court hearing to lift the seizure of the aircraft is scheduled for June 8, 2022, according to the statement released by Sri Lanka's Airport and Aviation Services.

Earlier, on Saturday, Russia's Aeroflot had suspended its commercial flights to Colombo after Sri Lankan authorities detained its Airbus A330 jet.

"Aeroflot is suspending commercial flights to Colombo (Sri Lanka) for the immediate period due to an unreliable situation in terms of the airline's unobstructed flights to Sri Lanka. The sales of tickets for flights to Colombo have been temporarily shut down," the statement noted.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Sri Lanka's Airport and Aviation Services issued a statement stating the actual reason behind restraining the flight to Moscow. It noted that the flight was restrained due to the absence of a permit from Sri Lanka's aviation authorities.

Aeroflot passengers located in Colombo with return tickets for June 2, 4, and 5 will be brought to Russia from Sri Lanka on June 4 and 5. Repatriation planes will fly to Colombo without passengers, according to the statement. The company also vowed that those passengers with tickets to Moscow for later dates would also be brought home as scheduled.