SriLankan Airlines Flight Hit by Lightning, Makes Emergency Return to Colombo; All 223 Onboard Safe (Watch Video)

A Sydney-bound SriLankan Airlines flight, UL606, carrying more than 200 people made an emergency turnaround and landed safely back at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Colombo on Friday, June 12, 2026, after being struck by lightning. The aircraft encountered severe weather shortly after takeoff. Flight operations sources confirmed that all 207 passengers and 16 crew members onboard evacuated safely without any reported injuries.

Flight UL606 departed Colombo at 00:05 local time on Friday. Shortly into the cross-oceanic journey to Australia, the aircraft flew into a zone of adverse weather conditions, where it sustained a direct lightning strike. According to passengers and local media reports, a loud bang was heard inside the cabin immediately after the impact. Eyewitness accounts and social media footage captured brief sparks and flashes appearing to emanate from one of the aircraft's engines while the plane was mid-air. Sri Lankan Airlines Flight to Sydney Returns to Colombo Following Operational Incident.

The flight crew quickly managed the situation and stabilized the aircraft. Following the strike, the pilots informed the passengers that the lightning had caused minor damage to the left engine. As a standard safety precaution, the crew abandoned the flight path to Sydney and initiated a turnback to Colombo. Flight UL606 landed safely back at Bandaranaike International Airport at approximately 1:40 a.m. without further incident. Airline technicians and safety teams were deployed immediately upon landing to inspect the exact extent of the engine damage. IAF Plane Crash: AN-32 Aircraft Bursts Into Flames After Landing at Jorhat Air Force Station In Assam, Killing 5 Personnel (Watch Videos).

SriLankan Airlines Hit By Lightning

SriLankan Airlines UL606 Returns to Colombo After Reported Lightning Strike

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— DailyMirror (@Dailymirror_SL) June 13, 2026

While terrifying for passengers, lightning strikes on commercial aircraft are an expected operational challenge in aviation. Modern airplanes are engineered with a conductive skin—often a Faraday cage structure made of aluminum or advanced composites with embedded conductive mesh—designed to let the electrical charge travel safely along the exterior of the plane and exit through the tail or wingtips. However, intense strikes can occasionally cause localized thermal or mechanical damage to sensitive exterior components, such as engine fan blades or nose cones, prompting pilots to return to base to ensure passenger safety.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 13, 2026 08:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).