SriLankan Airlines has been added to the Registry of the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). The International Air Transport Association (IATA) launched IOSA in 2003, and it remains a key element in IATA's drive to provide benchmarking of safety and quality standards and procedures among airlines throughout the global industry.

The registration is mandatory for an airline to remain a member of IATA, which has some 240 member airlines. SriLankan received the registration following a series of stringent audits by an IATA accredited audit organisation, PROS. It is valid until December 1, 2008, and would be renewed thereafter every two years subject to future audits.

Peter Hill, Chief Executive Officer, said: "We are indeed pleased to have successfully completed the IOSA audit process more than a year ahead of IATA's deadline. It is compulsory for all IATA member airlines to complete the process only by the end of 2008. I am particularly grateful to our IOSA Project team for the dedication and hard work put in to see this whole exercise through."

Sampath Perera, Manager Flight Operations Quality Assurance, who was SriLankan's IOSA Project Co-ordinator, said: "The entire airline gave its fullest support towards achieving IOSA registration, with several teams working on different areas."

IOSA covers eight key areas that encompass virtually all aspects of an airline - Corporate Organisation & Management Structure; Flight Operations; Flight Despatch; Aircraft Engineering & Maintenance; Cabin Operations; Ground Handling; Cargo Operations, and Airline Security. Airlines are required to comply with IATA's standard relevant to each of these areas, both operationally and administratively.

The process of preparing for the IOSA audit required the preparation of comprehensive manuals in each area which standardise all operational practices, and are included in one main Corporate Management Systems Manual. All manuals were also approved by Sri Lanka's Civil Aviation Authority.