Gearing up to enhance responsiveness for search and rescue eventualities in SL airspace

Representatives of stakeholder entities which included Sri Lanka Customs, Sri Lanka Immigration, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Aeronautical Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, Sri Lanka Coast Guard, National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), Department of Meteorology

• Key decisions made at National Aeronautical Search and Rescue Committee Meeting – 2025

Air transportation is the safest mode of transportation as accepted universally. Airlines, the State aviation regulators, airport operators, air navigation service providers and multitude of aviation professionals are working round the clock to ensure the safety of aircraft operations over the skies. Yet, one cannot rule out the possibility of air crashes and the accidents in the airspace. Latest statistics from International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) states that accident rate is 1.87 per 1,000,000 flights in 2023. Though very infrequent in nature such accidents have taken place time and again. Standards set forth by the ICAO require States to respond swiftly and effectively to ensure that the survivors of the air accidents are searched and rescued. 

Civil Aviation Authority Sri Lanka (CAASL) , the State aviation regularity body, in collaboration with the relevant State sector stakeholder entities including the State military arm, SLARMY, SLNAVY, SLAF and Sri Lanka Police, has formulated a cooperative framework designated as National Aeronautical Seach and Rescue Plan (NASARP) intended to ensure that Sri Lanka would respond in an organised manner, swiftly and effectively during unfortunate eventuality involving local or international flights over Sri Lankan airspace that might lead to search and rescue requirement. 

NASARP was issued as rules made by the Civil Aviation Authority under section 53 of the Civil Aviation Act, No. 14 of 2010, cited as ‘‘the National Aeronautical Search and Rescue Plan Rules, No. 1 of 2023.” Promulgated in the Extra Ordinary Gazette No:2347/02 dated 28 August 2023. 

The executive body of the NASARP, the National Aeronautical Search and Rescue Committee (NASC) meeting was held at ‘Maga Neguma Mandiraya’ on 21 May.

This high-level meeting was presided by the ex-officio Co-Chairs to NASC, Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation, Prof. Kapila C.K. Perera, the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshall Sampath Thuiyacontha (Retd.) and ex-officio Secretary to the NASC, Director General Civil Aviation and CEO/CAASL, Air Vice Marshal Sagara Kotakadeniya (Retd.).

In their official capacities, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign affairs, Secretary to the Ministry of Health, Secretary to the Ministry of Fisheries, the commanders of the Sri Lanka tri forces, Inspector General of Police, Director General of Disaster Management Centre and the Airport and Aviation Sri Lanka Ltd. Chairman are the rest of the members of NASC.

The representatives of stake holder entities which included Sri Lanka Customs, Sri Lanka Immigration, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Aeronautical Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, Sri Lanka Coast Guard, National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), Department of Meteorology.

The decisions arrived at the meeting are as follows: ARCC to initiate the process of reviewing the existing Aeronautical SAR Plans of Operation; CAASL to lead coordination efforts with all stakeholders and oversee the facilitation of the development; all stakeholders to actively engage and contribute throughout the process of the development of the Plans of Operation; Conduct a tabletop SAR exercise based on a scenario developed by the ARCC; CAASL to coordination with all applicable stakeholders and facilitate the event; all stakeholders to actively participate in the event and provide their feedback; ARCC to obtain feedback from all participants to refine SAR strategies and enhance future operations and to conduct a post-exercise evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the SAR responses and identify areas for improvement; the possibility of conducting a full scale SAR exercise in collaboration with Sri Lankan Armed forces and other asset providers to be explored.