The Sri Lanka Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (SLATCA) is to hand over a report containing their staff retention proposals to Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Pvt.) Ltd. (AASL) Chairman Maj. Gen. G.A. Chandrasiri today (14), which would then be forwarded to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation, following which, a meeting would be scheduled with the Treasury.
SLATCA President Thisara Amarananda, speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (13), said that the proposal will mainly include retaining people for the available vacancies. “This is actually the board paper on retaining people for the vacancies. There are nine points justifying our claim which we are handing over to Chandrasiri tomorrow. This includes recruitment, salary increments and retirement facilities. This board paper was approved in October 2022,” he added.
He also noted that Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation and Attorney Nimal Siripala de Silva had informed that he would visit the air traffic centres in Ratmalana on 16 February. On 8 February, during a meeting with air traffic controllers, de Silva had agreed to arrange a discussion with the Treasury to review their salaries and allowances and recruit 30 graduates to fill up the shortages of air traffic controllers. However, the SLATCA had expressed dissatisfaction in this regard, claiming that the meeting had only provided part of the solution. This meeting was scheduled following concerns raised by the SLATCA over a potential standstill of air traffic movements owing to the increasing number of controllers resigning from their posts.
Commenting on this issue earlier, Chandrasiri said that Sri Lankan skies will not be lost merely because air traffic controllers are migrating. Speaking to The Daily Morning, Chandrasiri said on 6 February: “We will work out a plan for that. We will not close the airspace just because someone held a media briefing. We will work out a plan with them and we will make sure that the work continues. This is a national endeavour. This will continue with them. We have our all-time plan so we will work something out . We are talking about a nation. As a country, we must have our reserves available. We will start working accordingly.” When queried about the details of the plan, he said: “I won’t tell you the plan. This is a plan that we are working on and we will make sure that it is implemented at the correct time.”
The SLATCA has raised concerns over a potential standstill of air traffic movements, owing to the increasing number of controllers resigning from their posts. Issuing a statement in this regard, the association noted that 19 air traffic controllers have resigned from their posts within a span of a year. “If four or five more controllers leave, air traffic movements will come to a standstill even without a strike,” Amarananda said, emphasising that such a standstill would pose a threat to Sri Lanka’s road to recovery.