No Russian charter flights to Sri Lanka until October.
Sri Lanka will not host Russian charter flights during the off-season due to diminished demand and a lack of summer promotions, according to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR).
The suspension, effective until October, follows the early termination of Red Wings Airlines’ winter charter programme to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) in early April, with affected passengers rerouted via alternative flights.
The 412-seat Red Wings aircraft previously allocated for Sri Lanka is now expected to be redeployed for Egypt-bound charters, a rapidly growing summer destination for Russian tourists. ATOR emphasised that Sri Lanka’s tourist inflows remain heavily reliant on charter operations, particularly from Russian regions, and warned of a significant decline in summer arrivals without such flights.
Notably, tour operators are yet to announce charter or block flight programmes to Sri Lanka for the 2025 summer season.
