On June 3, 2022, a Russian Aeroflot Airbus A330, which had arrived from Moscow earlier in the day, was detained at Bandaranaike International Airport in Sri Lanka. The airport's official stated that the aircraft was not allowed to return following an order from the Colombo Commercial Court.
Aeroflot, Russia's flagship carrier, had suspended all international flights in March 2022 due to Western sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. However, the airline resumed operations to Colombo in April 2022.
According to the airport's official, air traffic control received an order to hold the flight, SU289, but the reason for the detention was unclear. The official speculated that it might be related to a commercial dispute.
Passengers and crew were disembarked from the aircraft and accommodated in hotels, while there was no immediate comment from Aeroflot in Colombo.
