CAASL Strengthens Sri Lanka’s Search and Rescue Capabilities with Landmark Joint Workshop.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) has taken a major step toward enhancing national aviation safety by strengthening inter-agency coordination and search and rescue (SAR) readiness through a landmark joint workshop and upcoming exercise.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) announced new measures to boost the country’s search and rescue (SAR) capabilities, ensuring faster and more coordinated responses to aviation emergencies within Sri Lanka’s designated Search and Rescue Region.

As part of this initiative, CAASL hosted the Joint Search and Rescue Workshop on November 3, 2025, at its headquarters auditorium, with a Tabletop Exercise (TTX SAREX) scheduled for November 6, 2025. This marks the first large-scale event of its kind in the nation’s aviation history, featuring participation from over 20 key stakeholder organizations.

Globally, air travel remains one of the safest forms of transportation, with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) reporting an accident rate of 1.87 per 1,000,000 flights in 2023. However, ICAO requires all member states to maintain robust SAR systems capable of providing swift and effective responses to aviation incidents.

The initiative follows the first National Aeronautical Search and Rescue Committee Meeting (NASCM/01) held on May 21, 2025, where CAASL, together with the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), began developing joint strategies to enhance national SAR capacity.

Under the National Aeronautical Search and Rescue Plan (NASARP), CAASL is working closely with national agencies, including the Armed Forces, Police, Disaster Management Centre, Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd., Department of Meteorology, Immigration and Emigration Department, Ministries of Health and Fisheries, the Ports Authority, and others. The plan ensures unified coordination between these entities to handle both local and international aviation emergencies efficiently.

The workshop and forthcoming exercise are conducted under the leadership of Capt. Daminda Rambukwella, Director General of Civil Aviation and CEO of CAASL, and Mr. Sunil Jayarathna, Chairman of CAASL. The program is also guided by Mr. M. A. K. Prasanna, Deputy Director General – Aeronautical Services Regulation, and Mr. Thilina Sri Warnasinghe, Director – Air Navigation Services. Around 70 representatives from partner organizations actively participated in the event.

This multi-agency effort highlights Sri Lanka’s continued commitment to aviation safety, emphasizing readiness to safeguard lives both in the air and at sea through proactive planning, collaboration, and training.