SL to set up AAIB to meet international obligations

The government is in the process of establishing an Air Accident Investigation Bureau of Sri Lanka (AAIBSL) to honour her international obligations and adjust internal aviation administrative measures in conformity with standards applicable internationally.

A Cabinet paper presented by Transport Civil Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva had pointed out that as the scale of aviation activities in Sri Lanka is comparatively small it does not warrant the establishment of such an authority here.

Minister de Silva had proposed that a bureau for the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation Authority coming under the direct supervision of the Ministry in charge of the subject of Civil Aviation be set up, with the objectives, powers and functions as stipulated in the “Model Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation Authority,” which was developed by ICAO for this purpose. In 1948 Sri Lanka ratified the Convention on International Civil Aviation which was signed in Chicago in 1944 (Chicago Convention) and became a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which is an UN agency specialized in civil aviation. Consequently Sri Lanka has an obligation to regulate the country’s civil aviation activities in conformity with the provisions in the Chicago Convention and nineteen (19) annexes thereto which defines the international standards relating to various technical, operational and environmental matters in civil aviation. Minister de Silva had sought Cabinet approval to draft the legislation needed for the establishment of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau of Sri Lanka (AAIBSL) in line with the ICAO Model Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation Authority, which was granted.

To include a budgetary provision in the National Budget under the Ministry in charge of the subject of civil aviation or to instruct the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka to provide financial support up to a ceiling of Rs.50 million per annum for the functioning of the AAIBSL.

To amend the Civil Aviation Act No.14 of 2010 removing the responsibility cast on the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka for the conduct of aircraft accident and incident investigation.