SriLankan Airlines flight makes emergency landing at BIA after smoke detected in cargo hold

A SriLankan Airlines aircraft arriving from Melbourne, Australia, made an emergency landing at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) last night (01) after smoke was detected in its cargo hold.

However, the aircraft landed safely without any injuries or damage, SriLankan Airlines Head of Corporate Communications Deepal Perera confirmed.

The flight, UL 605, arrived at approximately 10.38 p.m., with the incident being reported around 15 minutes before its scheduled landing.

Upon detecting the smoke, the pilot immediately informed the airport's operations control centre, prompting authorities to activate emergency response procedures.

Fire engines, medical teams, rescue personnel and ambulances were placed on standby at the airport. Nearby hospitals were also alerted to ensure they were prepared to respond if necessary.

The aircraft, an Airbus A330 wide-body jet, was carrying 258 passengers and 15 crew members at the time of the incident.

Subsequent inspections found that the smoke had originated from dry ice, or solid carbon dioxide, used to preserve a consignment of meat transported in the cargo hold.

Perera further stated that the aircraft underwent additional safety inspections before departing from BIA for another destination this morning (02).