Media Center

4 August 2022; Colombo – SriLankan Airlines hereby clarifies and places on record the following with regard to the video content created by a passenger which is widely shared on social media platforms at the moment.

The airline categorically denies the assertion on the unavailability of meals in the Business Class and cites this as a deliberate misrepresentation of facts to prompt public dislike towards the airline.

SriLankan Airlines wishes to clarify that, on this particular flight, Business Class passengers were offered four meal choices as their main course; chicken, sea food, beef and vegetarian – and depending on the number of passengers, a selected number of each choice was uplifted.

Airlines world over, whilst offering their passengers meal options to choose from, do not uplift all meal options equal to the full number of passengers where the latter will pick only one out of the given choices. As all other global airlines, SriLankan Airlines is mindful of minimizing wastage when it comes to uplifting a number of extra meals, as it is both economically detrimental and contradicts the sustainability ethos of the airline.

As such, depending on the feedback and insights on meal preferences of passengers carried so far, the number of meals uplifted from each category is pre-decided, and the airline ensures that the passenger always has a choice between two or more.

Therefore, it is commonplace for one meal option to run out before the rest, and it is standard practice among all carriers to offer passengers what is available.

What is captured in this footage is a narration of such an incident where the choice requested by two passengers was out of stock, and therefore they were offered the alternative options. It is evident that the onlooker who recorded the video interpreted it, deliberately or otherwise, as non-availability of meals, which is both false and misleading.

The airline’s Business Class meal service on the flight in question consisted of a Hors d’eouvre, salad, main course and a dessert with Sri Lankan tea, coffee and a range of local and foreign beverages served on request throughout the journey, concluding with a continental breakfast served before the arrival at the destination.

On a further note, SriLankan Airlines is dedicated to accommodating specific meal requirements of its passengers at the time of booking and also has the option of pre-ordering meals for those with special dietary requirements.

The National Carrier strive to provide utmost comfort and care to its passengers, and it will continue to work towards this mission.