SriLankan Airlines flight delay and cancellation compensation

Your rights on a SriLankan Airlines flight

SriLankan Airlines (UL) is the flag carrier of Sri Lanka and a oneworld member, hubbed at Colombo and flying to London Heathrow, Paris and Frankfurt. It is not an EU or UK carrier, so your rights turn on the airport you leave from, not on the airline.

Because SriLankan holds no EU or UK operating licence, coverage lands on the departure side only:

• Departing any EU/EEA airport on SriLankan Airlines — EU261 applies.
• Departing the UK on SriLankan Airlines — UK261, the retained British version of the rules, applies.
• Arriving into the EU/EEA or the UK from Colombo — not covered, because SriLankan is not a Community carrier and the inbound limb requires an EU or UK airline.

So a London Heathrow departure to Colombo is protected; the same aircraft flying Colombo to Heathrow is not. Every SriLankan route out of Europe is long-haul, which places eligible claims in the top compensation band.

Compensation is triggered by a delay of three hours or more at your final destination, a cancellation with under 14 days' notice, or involuntary denied boarding.

How much you could receive

The amount is fixed by route distance, not by the fare or the cabin, and each passenger with a confirmed booking claims separately.

• EUR 250 — flights of 1,500 km or less
• EUR 400 — flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km
• EUR 600 — flights over 3,500 km, which covers SriLankan's departures from Europe to Colombo

UK261 claims use the sterling bands of GBP 220 / GBP 350 / GBP 520.

When SriLankan Airlines doesn't have to pay

There is no compensation where the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided even with all reasonable measures — severe weather, air-traffic-control restrictions, airport closures, security alerts or a bird strike.

Two points are widely misunderstood:

• The airline carries the burden of proof. A one-line message citing "operational reasons" is an assertion, not evidence.
• A strike by SriLankan's own crew is generally not extraordinary, while strikes by third parties — air-traffic controllers, airport handlers — usually are.

Routine technical faults found during ordinary maintenance normally remain the airline's responsibility.

How to claim from SriLankan Airlines

Keep the booking reference, your boarding pass, and any message announcing the delay or cancellation. Ask, in writing, for the reason. For a missed connection beyond Colombo, note when you actually reached your final destination.

We handle the submission, the follow-up and any appeal from start to finish.

What it costs

The eligibility check is free. If we recover your compensation we charge a fixed EUR 39 success fee — the same whether you're owed EUR 250 or EUR 600 — and the airline's payment goes to you. No win, no fee.