Katunayake airport authorities took measures to divert three planes arriving at the airport to the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) due to the bad weather conditions and heavy rain that suddenly occurred in the area around the airport last evening.

Accordingly, SriLankan Airlines flight UL-116 arriving from Malé, Maldives was diverted and landed at the MRIA at 6.02 pm yesterday.

A Sri Lankan Airlines flight (UL-120) arriving from Ireland landed at MRIA at 6.18 pm while another SriLankan Airlines flight (UL-128) arriving from Chennai, India landed at the MRIA at 6.46 pm.

The passengers on these three planes were not allowed to disembark from the planes but were flown back to  the Katunayake Airport between 07.00 and 08.00 yesterday, after the weather conditions in the area around the airport improved.
          
Meanwhile, the SriLankan Airlines flight (UL-470), which was scheduled to leave for Incheon, South Korea, yesterday (25) at 08.50 pm left Katunayake Airport only at 10.30 pm.

Also, the SriLankan Airlines flight (UL-171), which was scheduled to depart for Bangalore, India too was delayed and departed at 10.45 pm. The flight was delayed for four hours.

The SriLankan Airlines flight (UL-126) which was scheduled to arrive at Katunayake Airport this morning at 04.35 from Chennai, India, has not arrived yet, and its arrival time too has not been announced yet. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama and T.K.G Kapila)