The Polish state airline LOT Polish Airlines has announced special flights to bring Polish tourists back from Sri Lanka and the Maldives. This measure is due to massive disruptions in international air traffic caused by the escalating tensions between Iran, the US, and Israel.
The special flights planned for March 10, 2026, on the Colombo–Warsaw and Malé–Warsaw routes are intended to evacuate travelers whose regular return flights were cancelled due to airspace closures or security concerns in the Middle East.
The flights are being organized in close coordination with Polish tour operators and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Warsaw. Priority for seat allocation will be given to passengers who booked their trips through package tour operators. If any capacity remains after these allocations, a limited number will also be made available to independent travelers. Ticket sales for these special repatriation flights will be handled exclusively through authorized travel agencies such as Weco-Travel, eTravel, and LOT Travel to ensure orderly registration of those affected.
This initiative is part of a broader effort by Poland and its EU and NATO partners to evacuate citizens from the unstable Middle East region. Recent reports indicate that numerous European airlines have had to adjust their routes, leading to capacity constraints on flights between Europe and the Indian Ocean. LOT Polish Airlines is expected to use Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft for the evacuation, aiming to transport as many people as possible directly to Warsaw without stopping in the crisis region.
The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the airline reserve the right to organize additional repatriation flights depending on the evolving security situation and further demand. Travelers in the region are urged to remain in constant contact with their travel agencies and to follow official announcements from the authorities. The current situation in the airspace over the Persian Gulf and Iraq is making it difficult to plan regular scheduled flights, which is why these coordinated special operations are currently considered the only reliable return option for hundreds of stranded tourists.