SriLankan Airlines denies claims of cyberattack and ransom demand

SriLankan Airlines has issued a categorical denial regarding allegations that hackers infiltrated its information technology systems. The airline responded to claims made in Parliament by Opposition MP Dayasiri Jayasekara, who stated that a ransomware group identified as BlackNet (or BLACKNET-00) had allegedly penetrated the carrier’s digital infrastructure.

According to the parliamentary disclosures, the attackers reportedly demanded a US$50,000 ransom in Bitcoin and circulated videos on Telegram and dark web platforms claiming to demonstrate administrative access to the airline’s systems. These claims suggested that sensitive information, including flight operations, scheduling, navigational routing software, and employee records, may have been compromised.

In its official response, SriLankan Airlines maintained that internal investigations and technical assessments found no evidence of unauthorized access, data theft, or disruption to services. The airline stated that its email facilities and other essential operations continued without interruption. Management further rejected the claim that any ransom demands were received or that any negotiations with attackers had taken place.