FINANCIAL CHRONICLE – Several Indian employees at the finance division of SriLankan Airlines’ Chennai office have been implicated in the embezzlement of 22 million Indian rupees. This fraudulent activity involved the unauthorized alteration of invoices and signatures, according to a statement from the national airline on Saturday.
SriLankan Airlines reported that the fraudulent actions transpired over an extended timeframe through the manipulation of invoices, payment information, and signatures. The airline’s headquarters in Colombo identified irregular payment transactions and subsequently launched an internal probe into the matter.
As a result of the internal investigation, the implicated employees have stopped attending work, and the airline has taken appropriate measures against them. Furthermore, SriLankan Airlines has promptly alerted the relevant law enforcement agencies in India, and investigations are now underway to recover the misappropriated funds.
This incident comes to light following another case where the airline mistakenly transferred US$265,000 to an incorrect account belonging to a UAE-based service provider. This error was a result of a compromised email from the Dubai agent, which resulted in SriLankan receiving fraudulent instructions through an official email.
Recently, SriLankan Airlines has uncovered several similar instances of financial fraud, including a notable case involving a US$2.5 million theft from the Treasury via hacking and another incident that resulted in a loss of US$625,000 from the Postal Department. (Colombo/May 16/2026)
