The Hindu Business Line : Air Sahara suspends flights to Colombo

New Delhi May 9 Air Sahara has temporarily suspended its daily flight on the Chennai-Colombo-Chennai sector. Sources told Business Line that the flight was being suspended from today for three months.

"There is a night curfew at Colombo airport from tonight and our operations from India are during the curfew hours. Therefore, it has temporarily been decided to suspend the flight," sources added.

The Sri Lankan authorities decided to suspend night operations at the Colombo airport as a precautionary measure following the recent air strikes by the Tamil Tigers.

Colombo airport is to remain shut from 10.30 p.m. to 4.30 a.m. The Air Sahara flight used to leave Chennai at 11.30 p.m. and reach Colombo at 12.50 a.m. In the return direction, the flight leaves Colombo at 3.30 a.m. and arrives in Chennai at 4.50 a.m.

In 2004, the airline was the first private sector operator from India to start flights to Colombo.

Indian, Air India Express and Jet Airways that have daytime flights from India would continue to operate their normal schedules. Air Sahara joins a growing list of airlines suspending its regular operations to Colombo. The Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airlines has also suspended operations to Sri Lanka. The Dubai-based Emirates airlines had suspended flights but restored them after rescheduling its operations to day light flights.