TUI has announced its cancellation of further flights to Sri Lanka due to weeks of political and economic instability in the country. The airline has been forced to suspend its departures to Sri Lanka up to and including June 12 as the country is currently in a state of emergency.
Several incidents on May 9, 2022, involving violence against peaceful protesters throughout Sri Lanka which led to injuries and losses of life has led to the country being deemed unsafe to travel to. In a statement, TUI said: "We’ve unfortunately had to cancel all holidays to Sri Lanka departing up to and including 12 June 2022.
A spokesperson added: "We will be proactively contacting all impacted customers in departure date order to discuss their options. “Please note this advice does not apply to customers transiting through Sri Lanka’s international airport and customers currently in resort can continue to enjoy their holiday as planned.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and update customers should there be any further updates."
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The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said a State of Emergency has been declared in Sri Lanka, and curfews are being imposed at short notice, as reported by BirminghamLive.
The violence against peaceful protesters occurred across the country, including in the Galle Face area in Colombo, where the security authorities used tear gas and water cannons. Incidents also took place near Beira Lake in Colombo, Kandy, and in other parts of the country, resulting in injuries and loss of life.
