A special relief flight, UL 302, departed from Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) to Medan International Airport in Sumatra, Indonesia, to transport 101 passengers and crew members from SriLankan Airlines flight UL 306, which was grounded due to a technical fault.

The Singapore-bound flight UL 306, which left BIA in Katunayake on the evening of 5 June, was forced to make an emergency landing at Medan’s Kuala Namu International Airport due to a technical issue.

Following an assessment by Indonesian technical experts, it was determined that the repairs required more time, prompting SriLankan Airlines to arrange hotel accommodation for the stranded passengers.

However, complications arose when Indonesian authorities initially refused permission for hotel transfers. The matter was resolved following the intervention of the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Indonesia.

Meanwhile, a technical team from Sri Lanka departed for Jakarta on the morning of 6 June to carry out a further inspection of the grounded aircraft.