The Aircraft Owners and Operators Association (AOAOA) of Sri Lanka presented a draft of 50 key issues regarding domestic air transportation to the Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation, Bimal Rathnayake.
One of the issues highlighted in the draft was the complexity of obtaining various approvals from multiple government organisations, such as the CEA, Irrigation Department, District Secretariat, and Municipal/Urban Council, for water aerodromes approved by CAASL.
Additionally, the need to unify the payment schemes proposed by different waterbody owners for flight operations was emphasised.
The issues were submitted on 11 February 2025, and during the meeting, the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) was urged to address these concerns by 31 March 2025, which has not yet been addressed, the AOAOA claimed.
The report also raised concerns over the confusion at CAASL regarding the importation of aircraft. CAASL requires the history of an aircraft to be documented back to its origin, creating obstacles for importers. Further, the concessional duty rates for aircraft and aircraft spares, which are not being implemented, result in high duties that discourage investment.
Another issue addressed was the disruption in familiarisation or trial flights for prospective students, which were previously approved by CAASL but are now being denied. This has led to difficulties for students and their families in assessing the viability of flight training before making significant financial investments. Similarly, the suspension of Private Aircraft Owner Permits has hindered personal flight operations, with aircraft owners now unable to use their aircraft for personal purposes. This has led to some owners contemplating deregistration and moving their aircraft to other countries.
Helipads in Colombo City and Port City remain undetermined by CAASL, and students pursuing Private Pilot Licences (PPL) are no longer able to rent aircraft for personal flying, further impacting the market for PPL courses. International students, particularly those seeking short courses like FAA licence recency flying, face significant delays in obtaining entry visas due to cumbersome approval processes involving CAASL, the Ministry, and immigration.
The draft also touched on operational inefficiencies at Ratmalana Airport due to CAASL’s centralisation of regulatory processes at the Katunayake Airport, which has resulted in delays and inconvenience for pilots and flight training organisations (ATO). Additionally, CAASL’s prioritisation of former Air Force officers for management positions has been criticised for lacking civil aviation expertise, contributing to aircraft being grounded for extended periods.
Other issues include the time-consuming process for obtaining air defence clearances for flight training, CAASL’s failure to address these concerns with relevant authorities, and the lack of hull insurance coverage from insurance companies, which only provide third-party liability and crew insurance. Skydiving operators have also faced delays due to CAASL’s failure to facilitate necessary Ministry of Defence (MOD) approvals.
The AOAOA had also proposed several solutions to address these ongoing challenges and improve the state of civil aviation in Sri Lanka. (ceylontoday)
