British Airways today announced that it will cease its operations onwards to Colombo from March 28 next year.

Services to Male will re-commence for winter 2015, but British Airways will cease to operate flights onwards to Colombo.

With SriLankan Airlines recently joining oneworld, customers in Sri Lanka will still be able to enjoy the benefits of British Airways’ extensive network of flights to Europe and North America, connecting on from the direct SriLankan Airlines flight to London Heathrow.

Christopher Fordyce, Regional Commercial Manager, British Airways, South Asia, said, “The decision to suspend flights between Colombo and London has been a difficult one to make. We constantly assess all our global routes and take appropriate steps, as needed. The Colombo route is not making a profitable contribution to our business and we are unable to sustain it.

“British Airways will continue flying between London Gatwick and Male, however, the service will be operational only during the winter schedule to cater to the high leisure travel demand.”

British Airways is in the process of contacting all affected customers, who will be offered a full refund. The premium airline is also in the process of seeking out solutions to assist as many customers as possible in making alternative arrangements. Customers who have booked through travel agents may contact their agents directly.

British Airways would like to apologise to the customers affected by these changes and would like to thank the airport authorities, local government, tourist organisations and people of Sri Lanka for their support.