COLOMBO, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's national carrier Sri Lankan Airlines said on Wednesday that it is temporarily avoiding Iranian and Iraqi airspace in view of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The airlines said in a statement that it has altered its Colombo-London route to avoid the airspace of Iran and Iraq with immediate effect as a precautionary measure.
"Our Colombo to London route was flying over Iran but now we decided to shift the route through Egypt," Sri Lankan Airlines Media Manager Deepal Perera told Xinhua.
The statement also said the carrier is working with local and international authorities to monitor the situation to ensure the safety of the passengers and crew.
On Jan. 3, a targeted drone attack by the United States at the Baghdad International Airport killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and nine others.
Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed deep concern over the present situation and urged all parties to "act with utmost restraint and maintain peace and security through constructive dialogue."
