- 60% reduction during initial days of war
- Civil Aviation Ministry hopeful of achieving year-end targets
- Tourism sector most severely affected
- Authorities to boost tourism, aviation once war ends
Despite experiencing about a 60% reduction in flight operations during the initial days of the Middle East (ME) war and a continued 30% drop in recent weeks, the Civil Aviation Ministry remains hopeful of being able to achieve its year-end targets as planned, Deputy subject Minister Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku asserted.
Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (6) on the impact of the ongoing conflict on the aviation sector, he said the aviation sector income has declined due to the reduction in flight operations, although exact financial losses have not yet been calculated. “The income generated by airports has reduced to some extent because flight operations dropped by about 60% in recent weeks. Even now, there is an approximately 30% reduction in flight movements. We have not yet carried out the full calculations, the income has gone down,” he said.
However, he expressed optimism the situation would stabilise in the coming days if the ME conflict comes to an end. “We are hopeful the war situation will end in the coming days. If the war situation ends during the course of this month (April), we are hopeful that we will be able to recover soon and achieve the year-end targets as planned,” he said.
Kodithuwakku further noted the tourism sector was badly affected by the disruption to air travel, and added that once the conflict ends, the authorities intend to focus on promoting tourism and reviving the aviation sector as quickly as possible. “As soon as the war is over, we can promote tourism and boost the aviation sector. At the moment, we don’t have other alternatives,” he said.
The ongoing conflict in the ME has disrupted aviation operations across several countries, leading to flight cancellations, the rerouting of aircraft, higher insurance costs, and rising expenses for airlines. Many airlines have reduced frequencies or temporarily suspended services to affected destinations, resulting in lower passenger traffic and delays in cargo movement.