Sri Lanka embroils in diplomatic row over confiscated Russian plane

• Russia files diplomatic protest over detention of Aeroflot plane at Sri Lanka’s Bandaranaike International Airport.
• Aircraft was brought to a halt by Colombo Commercial Court following a commercial dispute.
• 191 passengers and 13 crew were on board flight SU289 from Moscow.

When Russia registered a diplomatic protest over the move, Sri Lanka main airport denied the island nation’s government was behind the decision to detain an Aeroflot plane.

Following a directive from a court in Colombo, the Airbus A330 was seized at the Bandaranaike International Airport on Thursday, the same day it landed from Moscow.

Flight SU289 was set to return to Moscow with 191 passengers and 13 crew members on board.

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However, Bandaranaike Airport’s operator, Airport and Aviation Services, stated in a statement that the issue was “purely commercial in character” and should not be subjected to government intervention.

The plane was brought to a halt by the Colombo Commercial Court after Celestial Aviation Trading 10 Limited of Ireland filed a commercial dispute.

On Wednesday, the case will be heard.

The plane is parked at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo’s northwestern outskirts, and the passengers have been placed in motels.

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To avoid seizure, Russia’s civil aviation authority suggested that airlines operating rental planes registered in other countries stop flying internationally.

It’s unclear whether the detention of Flight SU289 had anything to do with the sanctions.

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