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Tuesday, 7 February 2023 02:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Charumini de Silva
The Air Traffic Controllers Association of Sri Lanka (ATCASL) has warned that if the Government does not pay attention to retaining air traffic officers, operations will halt without a strike.
With the subject Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva refusing to implement Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd., Board-approved proposal to address the staffing issues, the ATCASL called on President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s intervention to resolve the matter immediately.
Sri Lanka is suffering from a massive brain drain of aviation experts, particularly air traffic officers, as the salary offered in the country can no longer compete with that given in the Middle East amidst the ongoing economic crisis.
“The number of operational air traffic controllers in Sri Lanka is at a critical low with 19 of them resigning within a year. At present, the safety of aircraft movements within the 1.7 million square kilometres of Sri Lankan airspace rests in the hands of 81 of these air traffic controllers ─ a task which requires 138 manpower. If five more controllers leave, air traffic movements will come to a standstill even without a strike,” ATCASL Secretary Rajitha Seneviratne told the Daily FT.
Acknowledging that there was always a demand for air traffic controllers’ from overseas, the AASL Board of Directors in consultation with the ATC management, has drawn up a staff retention plan where the air traffic control officers will be bound by a three-year agreement and an attractive remuneration package. However, the subject Minister refused to implement the proposal citing he is willing to bring down the standard of the required educational qualifications to fill in the manpower shortage.
“This proposal was brought in October 22 and contains nine key points including streamlining training, three-year service bond, rehire retired personnel on a contract basis, increments and so on. In response the Minister went on record saying that he would bring down the standard of the required educational qualifications to fill the staff shortage,” he said.
Seneviratne highlighted that lowering the education qualifications of candidates to one of the most responsible jobs in Sri Lanka in no way is a remedy to what is ailing the ATC community.
Air traffic controlling is a serious cognitive task which demands the Controller to be mentally and physically fit. Experience is vital in this profession as it takes around 10 years for one to become a fully-fledged Air Traffic Controller.
“Sufficient science graduates are passing out from national universities each year, but if there are no mechanisms in place to retain them in the industry, what is the point in lowering the standards and educational qualifications? We have not had issues with the recruitment, but the problem lies with the retention,” Seneviratne insisted.
He also cautioned that if there is even a hint of a continuous compromise to the safety of air traffic movements, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) will be compelled to delegate the provision of Air Traffic Services over the high seas to a capable country.
“The threat of losing our airspace to a neighbouring country is no exaggeration. We are working around the clock to prevent this,” he added.
An overflying fee is charged from every aircraft for the services rendered by air traffic controllers. This overflying revenue makes up a sizeable proportion of AASL’s revenue which adds to the foreign reserves of the Government coffers.
“An invaluable asset which yields vital foreign income is now at risk of being lost to a foreign country. We lost a portion of our airspace several decades ago due to the lack of foresight of those then in power. The most densely occupied air routes lie within Sri Lanka’s airspace”, he pointed out.
