Saudi national arrested for assaulting Sri Lankan Airlines flight crew

A Saudi Arabian national has been arrested for allegedly assaulting members of the flight crew on a SriLankan Airlines flight (UL266) traveling from Riyadh to Colombo.

The 28-year-old Saudi Arabian was arrested by the Katunayake Airport Police following preliminary investigations, after the aircraft had landed.

Reports indicate that as the plane was preparing to land at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), the individual attempted to go to the washroom, violating the mandatory safety regulation that requires all passengers to be seated with their seatbelts fastened.

When the flight crew intervened, the passenger reportedly became aggressive and created a confrontation with them.

The confrontation was video recorded by other passengers using their mobile phones, and the video is currently circulating on social media.

Airport Police confirmed that legal action has been taken against the arrested person.