Sri Lanka's aviation, the sky is the limit

By Dhaneshi Yatawara

Today our skies are free from jet-to-jet 'dogfights', air raids and fireworks and surface-to-air missile attacks and threats. The skies are clear to fully expand the wings. Celebrating 100 years in flying high Sri Lankan aviation is reaching a new elevation. Just like the jet noise, one of the loudest noises that mankind made, development in aviation is also beyond the average human grasp and requires time, evidence and awareness to clear out the possible paths it can create to gain wealth.

Where are these flights of development headed? is the question in our minds. "We are in the right direction in developing our civil aviation. With the end of terrorism and peace regained it is high-time that Sri Lanka taps the potentials of economic development through developing aviation," said Director General of Civil Aviation and Chief Executive Officer of the Sri Lanka Civil Aviation Authority H.M.C. Nimalasiri.

Correct path

Commenting on celebrating their centenary Nimalasiri said, "Our aim is to bring the benefits to the notice of the people and make the people aware of what they do not see in long-term perspective. Celebrating 100 years will be the ideal opportunity for this."

Nimalasiri is amongst a few officials who pioneered drafting the new legislative framework in Civil Aviation and introducing institutional reforms in the former Department of Civil Aviation, which led to the formation of the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka and introduction of the Civil Aviation Bill. He has specific statutory powers and functions under the Air Navigation Act and Regulations made thereunder including exercising control over entry into the civil aviation system through granting of civil aviation documents (such as licenses, certificate of approvals etc.). He is the designated Government authority responsible for Civil Aviation security in Sri Lanka.

"In aviation capacity development should come first before the demand increase. This is different to other areas where the response is to the increase in demand. But planes cannot come and land without a space being created. So in order to develop aviation we first have to expand the facilities then the demand will automatically reach. Airlines would not demand to go to Mattala unless we have an airport there.

And in addition, when establishing an airport many other associated facilities will also be developed with the involvement of the Government as well as the public. A new airport would be some sort of a magnet. This will get other sectors to come up. And when we look at our tourism sector, most foreign visitors coming to Sri Lanka prefer to go to south and Eastern coastal belts. Now when we have a facility closer to those areas tourists would prefer to land there more than coming to Bandaranaike Air Port at Katunayake.

For the centenary celebrations some were saying that we are acting "Usually Late', said Nimalasiri. But as he further explained quoting the written history of the country, the first flight that completed a full round (Taking off into air and Landing safely) happened on December 7, 1912. The flight has taken off from Colombo racecourse. "Some say first flight happened in 1911 and we knew that, but that was not a complete flight. So we never wanted to commemorate an incomplete flight," he said. Legend and folklore also says that King Ravana's time Sri Lanka had air transportation and also suggests that names of places such as Wariyapola, Wariyagoda, etc. have come up due to these reasons. "But we do not have any living proof to confirm it. On the other hand there should be a strong reason for something to be told also but we lack evidence to prove," he added.

But according to the written history Sri Lanka has got interested in aviation just nine years after the initial flight by Wright brothers. "While searching in depth into Sri Lankan aviation history I read in one article written on the first flight that the Police, which was under British rule by then, have arrested the pilots soon after their second flight, because the British Rulers had a suspicion whether aircraft would spot all the artillery points at the Gall Face Green posing a threat to State defence," he added.

Accordingly in 1934 British Government wanted to extend the air mail service to Colombo and they have sent the Director General of Civil Aviation in India to do a study. And then in 1986 the Sri Lankan State Council has decided that we should also have a formal arrangement for aviation, according to Nimalasiri quoting historical documents. Thus, Rathmalana was selected as the focal point. By then Ratmalana airport was already established in 1936. "Before the State Council decision, in 1946 Sri Lankan Government appointed a person responsible for aviation but it was not a separate department. It was the Director of Public Works who acted as the Director Civil aviation," he added.

Since 1946 the civil aviation field started growing gradually. Even after 1946 aviation was not considered a primary subject contributing towards growth of the country. The first Minister responsible for Civil Aviation was Sir John Kothalawala. Yet his main portfolio had been Minister of Public Works and aviation was one of the subjects under him. There was no separate ministry.

"It is only now that we have a separate Minister for Civil Aviation as the Government has understood that this is a fundamental area required for development. But in careful retrospect we see that for nearly thirty years out of this 100 years we could not do much to improve the field due to the threats from terrorism. Domestic aviation was entirely crippled and only military aviation could survive due to combat requirements. Thus, the country's civil aviation got badly affected. At present after gaining peace and with the prominence given by the Government by including the necessity in its manifesto the civil aviation sees a better future," Nimalasiri said.

Development engine

As he further explained, public knowledge on aviation is very much limited. "For any industry to develop in the country public support and cooperation is needed. Without public support and cooperation no industry can be developed because one thing is that any government in power would primarily pay attention on the public need. If the public is not demanding development in aviation, that will not be the focus of the government. That had been the usual practice in every country," Nimalasiri explained.

Accordingly, the news of benefits through aviation should go to the public. "Now we have to make it clear to them as to what potential the aviation has for the economic development," he explained.

Under 'Mahinda Chinthana' - way forward concept, making Sri Lanka the aviation hub of South Asia is a concept that has come from the Government itself. "The Government manifesto is to develop the country into five hubs in Knowledge, Commercial, Naval, Aviation and Information Technology. I think it is the aviation hub is the one which will facilitate the growth of other hubs. Aviation will be the linking hub that will facilitate the growth of other hubs," he explained. As Nimalasiri said, with his experience in civil aviation field since 1987, the steps the present regime has taken would be a golden opportunity for Sri Lankan development drive.

According to Nimalasiri, when we closely observe the development path of several small countries like Singapore and countries like Dubai, it is through aviation that they have achieved a lot of economic power despite the very limited resources the countries had at the beginning. And also many other developed countries of the world have come to the present status basically making more use of aviation simply because it is one of the means of transportation which is essential for the fast and forward present day. At present with the globalization, most important logistics are the transportation and communication. These two are running in parallel. As an island, when it comes to connectivity with the rest of the world, we have to depend either on shipping or aviation. Shipping is needed more for transportation of goods. And aviation is the expeditious means for public transportation. If we can identify this potential people can make a better use of it, according to Nimalasiri.

"Aviation does not mean only travelling. It provides economic development, job opportunities, tourism. It is basically an engine for growth," he added. But until recently Government development work was not focused on broadening the capacity of aviation, specially until this government identified it to be primary area of focus and included in under the Manifesto as 'conquer the blue skies'.

As he further said, aviation could be the base for many paths in development. To make Sri Lanka the Commercial Hub there need to be a vast range of commercial activities and these would heavily depend on transportation. Being an island-nation we need to rely on air transportation to link with the rest of the world. When becoming a Naval hub where ships bringing in very large quantities of cargo and because we are at the Southern tip of India, we can use the advantage of our location to transportation some goods to land lock countries like Bhutan and Nepal through air. In developing the country into a knowledge hub the plan will be not only to cater to Sri Lankans but there will be institutes coming and establishing here and academics will be coming here and there will be exchange programs etc. to which the link would be air transportation. Thus, to the main development paths for Sri Lanka aviation becomes the common factor.

Bio fuel

The negative point in aviation is its pollution factor. For every kilogram of fuel burning we are adding about 3.2 kilograms of carbon dioxide to the environment. When conventional fuel is used - i.e. fossil fuel - carbon dioxide contribution will continue. Hence the world has turned towards using bio-fuel. "As a country our contribution is very minimal but the carbon dioxide is released in the high altitudes of the atmosphere which will damage the ozone layer fast. Our region is identified as a very promising area to grow material for bio-fuel. But when we use bio-fuel the carbon dioxide produced will be absorbed by plants. The cycle will complete where there will not be additional carbon dioxide left. Already there are aircrafts flown by using bio-fuel even Boing747 have flown using bio-fuel. So there are lots of potential we can tap through aviation," he said.

People need to be aware of the potentials that come with developing aviation in the country, he added. For example Information Technology is used extensively in aviation but many of our professionals do not know how to apply IT in full capacity in aviation, he further added. Ultimately it is the public who should be benefited with the improvements of the field. "Yet unfortunately people are still not aware of the importance and benefits the country can gain by developing civil aviation," Nimalasiri said explaining the challenges the field face.

Lessons from tsunami

"During the Tsunami in 2004 I found that aviation situation in Sri Lanka was really constrained with regard to meet the necessities in a disaster like this. After tsunami many friendly states sent us relief goods and assistance - and sometimes they sent goods plane after plane. We at times could not grant approval as BIA was utterly congested. So some of the planes were waiting in other locations around the country waiting for our approvals to land in BIA. We had only one airport and fortunately Tsunami did not damage that airport. Even the goods reach Katunayake it took days for the goods to reach the needy communities as we had to use road transport for that - many roads towards south were also affected by tsunami. Railway was seriously affected and we were left with air transportation as the only option," Nimalasiri said one of the turning points that triggered development of civil aviation.

And on the other hand, unlike other main cities of the country Katunayake has direct access from all other countries of the world. "Accessibility is not just transportation - it is the path to create wealth being connected to the world. This needs to be grasped by the people of the country and importantly, those who live in that area. For the country, instead of one point of access to the world now we will have two points of access," he added. The development of a new airport will be an invitation to get other sectors to establish in the new area as well. People look at the new development in the current context saying that area is very rural with no facilities at all and says it is useless to take an airport to that area.

As he further said, considering the results of establishing BIA at Katunayake one may notice the stretch of shops and business institutes located along the Colombo - Katunayake and Katunayake - Chilaw roads which hardly has any empty space and even on the Galle road up to Moratuwa, Panadura there are numerous business organisations, shops and various offices as we used to have Ratmalana airport as our main aviation point. "It is with the airport that all the other facilities come up. This is not something that will happen overnight, it gradually will be placed," he said.