The International Air Transport Association (IATA) awarded SriLankan Airlines the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) certification, following the successful completion of a comprehensive audit of all ground-handling operations at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport.
SriLankan’s Head of Service Delivery, Captain Milinda Ratnayake, said: “SriLankan is proud to be the first company in the South Asia region, and only the sixth airline in the world, to obtain ISAGO registration. We have made 2009 “The Year of our Customer”, and we believe that our customers will benefit immensely when we aim for and achieve the highest standards in all customer-centric activities.”
ISAGO is a globally accepted industry best practices programme for airport ground handling operations. The programme was introduced by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to improve ground operational safety standards at airports.
Sri Lanka is expecting a boom in international travel following the dawn of peace in the island nation with the end of a long civil war. The island has already drawn the attention of global tour operators with its golden beaches, rich culture and heritage, bargain shopping, and excellent geographical location connecting east and west at the base of the Indian Subcontinent.
SriLankan is the sole ground handler at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport, which is reputed as the finest in South Asia with its luxurious lounges, state-of-the-art aerobridges, and well-stocked duty free collection. Many types of airlines frequent BIA – full service carriers, low cost airlines, and seasonal charter flights - from various parts of the world including Europe, the Middle East, India, and the Far East.
Manager Airport Service Support, Ajith Fernando, said: “The ISAGO registration will provide full confidence in our service on the part of all airlines that operate to BIA. This is of utmost importance as Sri Lanka is preparing for a boom in tourist arrivals this year.”
Manager Airport Service Delivery, Yohan Pathirana, said: “We are working hard to ensure that every single visitor takes back delightful memories of the service at BIA, as well as the fantastic experience of a vacation on our island. ISAGO registration is a key element in this, as it is a long-term, continuous safety process, since we will be subject to periodic audits to extend the registration.”
The ISAGO programme is an audit system conducted in a standardized and consistent manner, using internationally recognized quality auditing principles. The implementation of ISAGO aims to improve safety in the airport ground operations environment and cut airline costs by drastically reducing ground accidents and injuries as well as reducing the number of redundant audits.
Sampath Perera, Manager Flight Operations Quality Assurance, who co-ordinated the airline’s ISAGO team, said: “SriLankan is not a large airline, but we take great pride in maintaining the highest global standards. ISAGO is the latest in our impressive list of international certifications, which include EASA 145 and EASA 147 from the European Aviation Safety Agency, and IOSA safety and quality from IATA for our airline operations.”
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