The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged Sri Lanka to develop an aviation blueprint so as to generate greater economic growth and prosperity through having a stronger aviation industry.
“Aviation connectivity can play a much bigger role in Sri Lanka’s economic development and social advancement. But this will not happen by chance. Government support will be critical to growing a strong airline sector and developing Colombo as an aviation hub. We urge the government and all industry stakeholders to collaborate on developing an aviation blueprint to strengthen the aviation industry’s competitiveness and bring greater prosperity to Sri Lanka. And IATA stands ready to support through our expertise and sharing of industry best practices,” said Philip Goh, regional vice president for Asia Pacific, IATA.
In a 2018 IATA study, Sri Lanka’s aviation sector supported some 700,000 jobs and contributed $8 billion to the GDP. This has the potential to increase to over 1 million jobs contributing nearly $30 billion to the GDP by 2038.
In his keynote remarks at Aviation Day Sri Lanka, organized by IATA and the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL), Goh suggested three areas to consider in the aviation blueprint namely facilitating sustainable growth, safety, and sustainability.
“Sri Lanka’s aviation blueprint needs to facilitate the sustainable growth of the industry and having an updated airport masterplan is the first step. I urge the government to engage in a consultative approach involving airlines to ensure that industry input is factored in,” said Goh,
Goh also encouraged the government to explore how the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) can be used to contribute to greater aviation safety in Sri Lanka. Going ahead, Goh called on the government to adopt a comprehensive consultation process involving airlines and other aviation stakeholders as the government develops sustainability policies