Technical Glitch Forces SriLankan Airlines Flight To Make Emergency Landing In Medan

COLOMBO (News 1st); A SriLankan Airlines flight en route from Katunayake to Singapore was forced to make an emergency landing at Medan Airport in Indonesia yesterday (5) evening due to a technical malfunction.

Flight UL 306, part of the airline’s Airbus fleet, experienced a mechanical issue mid-flight, prompting the crew to divert the aircraft as a precautionary measure.

According to SriLankan Airlines spokesperson Deepal Perera, a technical team is currently assessing the aircraft, and repairs are expected to take some time.

In the interim, SriLankan authorities arranged for passengers to be accommodated in hotel rooms.

However, complications arose when Indonesian immigration officials reportedly denied permission for passengers to leave the airport, creating a tense situation.

The issue was later resolved following the intervention of the Sri Lankan Ambassador in Indonesia, allowing passengers to be temporarily accommodated.

Meanwhile, SriLankan Airlines has dispatched an engineering team to Medan to carry out necessary repairs. A special relief flight is scheduled to depart for Indonesia at 1:45 PM today to either bring the stranded passengers back or facilitate their onward travel.