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Civil Aviation DG wants to put to rest “once and for all” issue of Ratmalana airport wall with risk assessment report
View(s):The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has instructed officials at the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) to submit a report on whether the concrete perimeter wall at the end of the Ratmalana airport runway poses a danger to airplane safety.
The report will include a threat assessment from the Defence Ministry and the national intelligence apparatus and be handed over to Civil Aviation Minister Bimal Ratnayake, said Air Vice Marshall (Retd) H. M. S. K. B. Kotakadeniya, who recently assumed duties as the new DGCA.
Citing the recent Jeju Air tragedy—where a plane belly-landed and exploded in flames after crashing into a concrete barrier at the end of the runway at Muan International Airport, South Korea, killing 179 people—the Aircraft Owners and Operators Association of Sri Lanka last week emphasised “the urgent need to address the risks posed by fixed structures” at the Ratmalana airport.
The solid concrete perimeter wall at the Galle Road end of the runway
“The Jeju Air disaster underscores the catastrophic consequences of having solid, non-frangible structures near runway ends,” it said, in a statement. “Colombo International Airport, Ratmalana, features a solid concrete perimeter wall at the Galle Road end of the runway. This wall poses significant risks in the event of runway overruns or undershoots, similar to the circumstances leading to the Jeju Air tragedy.”
The Association said this safety concern was flagged with the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) and Airport and AASL “many years ago”. “However, despite repeated calls for action, the hazardous structure remains in place,” it pointed out. “It is imperative that decisive action is taken now to prevent a potential tragedy.”
In 2020, then Defence Ministry Secretary Maj Gen (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne wrote to then AASL Chairman Maj Gen (Retd) G. A. Chandrasiri regarding a request to remove the boundary wall at Ratmalana Airport at the end of Runway 4, facing the Galle Road. He maintained that “replacement of the said structure poses a potential security risk to the vital establishments and air assets located at the SLAF Base Ratmalana especially since the VVIP/VIP Aircraft Squadrons are also positioned at very close proximity to the said structure”.
“Additionally, the absence of a solid structure may create a greater collateral damage in an accidental overrunning of the Runway due to the large number of vehicular traffic in Galle Road,” he said, strongly recommending that the boundary wall be retained.
However, Air Vice Marshall Kotakadeniya, whose office is responsible for the safety of civilian aircraft, said he wants to put the matter to rest “once and for all”. The CAASL team has nearly completed the investigation which will include an in-depth analysis of all relevant factors such as the compatibility of the wall’s height with ICAO regulations.
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