Colombo.July 13: The Sri Lankan Air Force on Wednesday confirmed that it had provided an early morning Air Force flight for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his wife along with two security guards at the Katunayake International Airport to leave for Maldives.

According to Daily Mirror, the flight was given in accordance with the powers vested in an Executive President in the Constitution of Sri Lanka, at the request of the existing Government, subject to the full approval of the Ministry of Defence, and subject to immigration, customs and all other laws at the BIA.
He had reached Maldives’ capital at around 3 am (local time).
This came hours ahead of his resignation from the President’s post.
He had fled the President’s House shortly after thousands of protesters stormed into his residence on July 9.
The President had signed his resignation letter and the Speaker of the Parliament was due to announce it on Wednesday.
On Tuesday evening, thousands of people had already amassed at Galle Face Green, the main protest site in the capital city, Colombo, awaiting President’s resignation.
As news of the president’s departure filtered through, noisy celebrations broke out among demonstrators at the park, BBC reported.
His brother and former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, who was earlier stopped by officials at the Bandaranaike International Airport from fleeing the country, has also left and is said to be heading to the US, BBC quoted sources as saying.
The Sri Lankans had blamed the President’s administration for the country’s worst economic crisis.