The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the establishment of a National Wildlife Hazard Management Committee for Aviation Safety to minimise the risk of collisions between aircraft and wildlife in Sri Lanka.
The committee will serve as a national coordination mechanism for managing wildlife-related hazards in civil aviation, with representation from all relevant stakeholder institutions.
The proposal was submitted by the Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation in line with Sri Lanka’s obligations under the Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention.
According to the government, the Convention requires member states to implement measures to identify, assess and minimise wildlife strike hazards at airports and surrounding areas.
These measures include recording and reporting aircraft-wildlife collisions, collecting information on potentially hazardous wildlife and conducting continuous risk assessments by qualified personnel.
Reports of wildlife strikes must also be submitted to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Bird Strike Information System.
The government said ICAO guidelines for the Asia-Pacific region provide for the establishment of national wildlife hazard management committees or forums to facilitate coordinated action on aviation safety.
The proposed committee is expected to strengthen coordination among relevant authorities in addressing wildlife-related risks to aircraft operations. (Newswire)