Sri Lanka DGCA appointed as Chairman of COSCAP-South Asia

Director General of Civil Aviation and Chief Executive Officer Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Sagara Kotakadeniya heading the 31st Steering Committee Meeting of COSCAP-SA with COSCAP-SA Chief Technical Advisor Capt. Marie Zubryckyj 

• Holds 31st Steering Committee Meeting of COSCAP-SA in Bhutan

The 31st Steering Committee Meeting of Cooperative Development of Operational Safety and Continuing Airworthiness Program - South Asia (COSCAP-SA) was convened in Paro, Bhutan, chaired by the newly appointed Chairperson, Director General of Civil Aviation and Chief Executive Officer Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Sagara Kotakadeniya.

The appointment of the Civil Aviation Authority Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) underscores Sri Lanka’s commitment to ensuring aviation safety in South Asia.

Aviation safety authorities and industry stakeholders gathered for the four-day meeting, marking a significant step towards enhancing safety in civil aviation across the region.

The Steering Committee, responsible for overseeing the program’s operations, selected Kotakadeniya to lead the committee for the next two years. He succeeds Khaqan Murtaza, DGCA of Pakistan, who served as the Chairperson for the preceding two-year term.

Established in 1997, COSCAP-SA has been instrumental in implementing measures to enhance civil aviation safety in the South Asian region. The organisation’s efforts have contributed to fostering collaboration among member States and promoting best practices in operational safety and airworthiness.

In addition to member States representatives, the meeting welcomed delegates from prominent aviation entities, including Airbus, Boeing, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and the Civil Aviation Authorities of Britain (CAA-UK) and France (DGCA-France). Their participation underscores the industry’s commitment to supporting COSCAP-SA’s objectives and initiatives.

The discussions during the meeting centred on various aspects of aviation safety, including regulatory frameworks, technical standards and capacity-building initiatives. Participants exchanged insights and experiences, highlighting the importance of cooperation and collective action in addressing emerging safety challenges.