A statement from Sangakkara about the Ryanair controversy

Speaking to BBC Sinhala Service, Kumar Sangakkara explained an air travel experience his family had to face in Dublin, Ireland.

He stated that they went to Dublin from Bristol via Ryanair without any visa issues, saying, "We went to Dublin for two days. We went from Bristol. Booked Ryanair. Because it's a 45-minute flight. That's the closest airport for us."

They encountered this incident when preparing to return to Bristol on October 28. Describing how they use their e-Visa system as residents of the United Kingdom, he said, "We are residents here, so we have an e-Visa.

So whenever we try with the e-Visa, we either download the page or get a share code and show it," he stated. Even though regular Boarding Passes were issued as 'All Approved' through the airline app, they went to the visa check counter for additional confirmation. There, explaining to the officials, Sangakkara said he asked, "We have Sri Lankan passports, we have e-Visas, we have checked-in online and received the boarding passes, so can you please check our e-Visa?"

However, he further emphasized that airline officials informed them that if passports had been uploaded online and boarding passes received, there was no need for a check at that point, and they could board the plane directly.