SriLankan Airlines joins landmark global crackdown on illegal wildlife trade
View(s):SriLankan Airlines on Thursday joined a landmark worldwide drive to crack down on the illegal global trade in wildlife that has brought many of the world’s rare species close to extinction. The airline was among several international airlines which pledged their full support for the ‘United for Wildlife’ initiative, at the AGM of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) held in Dublin, Ireland. The initiative by major organisations involved in conservation is being supported by the global transportation industry.
In a media release, Captain Suren Ratwatte, CEO of SriLankan Airlines who signed on behalf of national carrier, said: “SriLankan Airlines has long been a pioneer of conservation within the global air transport industry, with ground-breaking initiatives such as our ‘Planet Friendly Flights’ as far back as 2009, and our own extensive conservation efforts are driven by our ‘Green Team’. We are delighted to join this valuable initiative which we have no doubt will significantly reduce trafficking in illegal species and animal products, and we hope this initiative will help to bring many species back from the verge of extinction.”