SriLankan Airlines clarifies action taken over unsettled behaviour of Muslim passenger

SriLankan Airlines in a statement yesterday clarified and placed on record certain facts with regard to a social media post that is currently being circulated on all mainstream social media; made by a SriLankan Airlines’ passenger on UL 605 from Melbourne to Colombo operated on the 23 May. 

The said passenger has boarded UL 605 in Melbourne on 23 May, and well into the flight had shown unsettled behaviour depicting extreme stress.  Further, said passenger had been instigating conversation with other passengers onboard of a religious nature. Despite the crew engaging with the passenger during the meal service and during the flight to ascertain the reason for his unusual behaviour, his demeanour and conduct had not improved. The crew had found this worrying to the rest of the passengers onboard as well. 

As per standard crew procedures across all airlines globally, it is the duty of the operating crew to notify incidents of this nature to the airport authorities at the arrival destination.  The said passenger was questioned upon his arrival by the Airport Authorities and security personnel on ground and, on questioning, the passenger was allowed to leave the airport after his statement was recorded. Fulfilling the security formalities, the crew members of the flight also underwent the same procedures.

Owing to the recent terrorist incidents that took place in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday 21 April, SriLankan Airlines has taken all necessary steps to enhance the safety of all its passengers and crew onboard.  

UL 605 operating out of Melbourne carried 231 passengers out of which five were of Islamic faith and 12 crew onboard. 

As such, the airline wishes to reiterate that it does not differentiate passengers based on faith, caste, creed or ethnicity - proof of which is that none of the other passengers onboard UL 605 complained of an unpleasant flying experience.  

SriLankan reiterates that the safety of all of its passengers onboard is its highest priority and that the crew is bound to follow the international standards of security and operational procedures to ensure that passenger wellbeing is safeguarded at all times. 

SriLankan Airlines wishes to place on record that, as a corporate entity with a history of 40 years, it has always consisted staff members belonging to all faiths and ethnicities both in Sri Lanka and across the globe, and this has inspired the Airline to work towards the common goal of taking Sri Lanka to the world.