The Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) are kept on standby for any requests by civil airlines for emergency landings, the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) has said.
The CAASL said the decision has been taken due to the current volatile situation in the Middle East region.

Several countries namely Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait closed their respective airspaces yesterday (June 23) following airstrikes by Iran targeting the Al Udeid US military base in Doha.

As a result, airlines were compelled to reroute flights.

5 SriLankan flights diverted

Meanwhile, 05 SriLankan Airlines flights were also diverted to Muscat (Oman), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), and Dubai (UAE) on Sunday due to the prevailing situation.

The CAASL has said all precautionary measures will be taken to ensure the safety of Sri Lankans and other passengers using SriLankan Airlines.

BIA flights from 2 ME destinations halted

Meanwhile, BIA officials have also confirmed that Qatar Airways and Jazeera Airways flight operations between the BIA and 02 Middle Eastern destinations have been suspended as of 5.00 a.m. today (June 24).

The Officer-in-Charge of BIA has said that both Qatar Airways and Jazeera Airways, operating from the State of Kuwait, have temporarily halted their services.

Accordingly, flights from BIA to Doha in Qatar, and Kuwait City, Kuwait, have been suspended until further notice.

US President Donald Trump has announced a “complete and total” ceasefire between Israel and Iran on social media.

Trump says the ceasefire will begin “in approximately six hours from now” after each country has “wound down” their military operations.

Trump’s announcement contains a periodic unravelling of hostilities but says that “upon the 24th hour” the war will officially end.

Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, has posted on X saying there is “no agreement of any ceasefire or cessation of military operations.”

“”As Iran has repeatedly made clear: Israel launched war on Iran, not the other way around…However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards,: he has added.

“The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later,” he has further said.

Meanwhile, Reuters have reported citing a senior White House official as saying that President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Iran through talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday while his team, including Vice President JD Vance, held talks with Tehran.

The official, providing details of the ceasefire on condition of anonymity, has said Israel agreed to it so long as Iran does not launch fresh attacks.

(Agencies)

Several spells of showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts today (June 24).

Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva province and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts during the afternoon or night.

Fairly strong winds of about (30-40) kmph can be expected at times over Western slopes of the central hills and in Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Trincomalee and Hambantota districts.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.