With regard to the SLAF operating for hire or reward without an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC), you be the judge. The Civil Aviation Bill (also known as the Civil Aviation Authority Act), a 116-page document contained in the Civil Aviation Authority (CAASL) website under ‘Preliminaries’, says this on page 6:
“(2) The provision of this Act shall not apply in respect of any aircraft operated by the military solely for or on behalf of the state.”
“(3) The application of the provisions of this Act in respect of the aircrafts (sic) in the use of the Government of Sri Lanka shall be to the extent as may be determined by the Minister by order published in the Gazette.”
“(4) Not withstanding the provisions of subsection (2) and subsection (3), of this section, the provisions of this Act shall apply in respect of the aircrafts (sic) operated by the military and aircrafts (sic) in the use of the Government of Sri Lanka where such aircraft are engaged in the carriage of passengers or cargo for hire or for reward.”
On page 64 under Air Operators Certificate the Civil Aviation Act states:
Air Operator Certificate
“ (1) No aircraft registered in Sri Lanka or any aircraft used by the operator licenced under the act on the basis of any lease, charter, interchange or similar arrangement shall be operated other than under and in accordance with the terms of an Air Operators Certificate granted by the Director General to the owner or operator of such aircraft.”
So although it is stated in ‘black and white’, is the Director General of Civil Aviation misleading everyone by applying only a part of his own law?
By the way, the plural of aircraft is aircraft and not ‘aircrafts’.