The primary objective of Sri Lanka with regard to the international civil aviation security is to ensure the protection and safety of passengers, crew, ground personnel, the general public, aircraft and facilities of an airport serving civil aviation, against acts of unlawful interference perpetrated on the ground or in flight. This will be carried out through a combination of measures and the marshalling of various human and material resources at international, national and airport levels.
Can I carry firearms/ weapons & ammunition on board an aircraft?
Yes. You can only in the cargo hold and you are required to obtain a written approval from DGCA.
How can I obtain the approval?
You are required to submit a written request with relevant details/documents to DGCA.
What are the relevant details/documents?
- Letter of approval from Ministry of Defence & Urban Development.
- Flight Details:- Date, Time, Flight number and route
- Details of the firearms/ weapons & ammunition (serial numbers, quantity, type, make, caliber and other accessories)
Can I send firearms/ weapons & ammunition as air cargo?
Yes, you can. You are required to obtain a written approval from DGCA.
How can I obtain the approval?
You are required to submit a written request with dully filled application (CAA/AVSEC/002) and other supporting documents mentioned above (FAQ 3) to DGCA.
Can I carry a knife/Pair of scissor in my hand luggage?
No, you can’t, but you can carry such items in your checked/hold luggage. Also there are some items which could not allow to carry in your hand luggage. Those are including:
| Knives and Cutting Tools | - | Including sabres, swords, cardboard cutters, hunting knives, souvenir knives, martial arts devices, professional tools and such other knives with blades of 6 cm long or longer and / or knives considered illegal by local law. |
| Bludgeons | - | Blackjacks, billy clubs, baseball bats or similar instruments. |
| Disabling or Incapacitating Items | - | All tear gas, mace and similar chemicals and gases, whether in pistol, canister or other container, and other disabling devices such as electronic stunning / shocking devices. |
| Other Articles | - | such items as ice picks, alpenstocks, straight razors and elongated scissors which, even though not commonly thought of as a deadly or dangerous weapon, could be used as a weapon, including toy or “dummy” weapons or grenades. |
Are there any alternative arrangements for the screening of passengers who with pacemakers at the airport without passing through walk through metal detectors?
Yes. Passengers requiring special handling, such as pregnant ladies, passengers carrying high-value material, passengers with pacemakers and passengers with reduced mobility, are screened in a separate location without using walk through metal detectors. However passengers are required to make a request from the security staff at the screening point.
What are the restrictions applicable on Liquid, Aerosols and Gels (LAGs), carrying in my hand luggage?
Following national requirements has been established for restricting the carriage of Liquid, Aerosols and Gels (LAGs) in passenger cabin baggage by the CAASL. By these requirement, items and quantities that allowed to carry in your cabin luggage will be restricted in international flights. You can carry many things which is considered as LAGs subject to following conditions; hair gels, perfumes, drinks (water and other beverages), toothpastes, body creams, shaving foams, deodorant, sprays, lotions, soups, oils, solutions and syrups.
All (LAGs) carried for personal use should comply with the following recommendations:
- All lags should be carried in containers with a capacity of not more than 100 ml each, or its equivalent in other volumetric measurements;
- Any lags in a container larger than 100 ml are unacceptable even if the container is only partially filled, though empty containers with a capacity greater than 100 ml are permitted;
- Containers holding LAGs should be placed in a transparent resalable plastic bag of a maximum capacity not exceeding 1 L. The indicative size of the 1 L bag is: 20.5cm × 20.5cm or 25cm × 15cm or equivalent. The containers must fit comfortably within the bag, which should be fully closed;
- Each passenger is permitted to carry only one such bag of lags, which is to be presented separately for screening;
- All conventional security controls and checks, including random manual searches of passengers and cabin baggage, are applicable;
- Exceptions to the above measures are allowed for medications, baby foods including milk, and for special dietary needs or other medical requirements
Note: Mentioned above are national requirements. This may vary according to the carrier airline
How to transport Passengers subject to Judicial or Administrative Control?
Persons Such as potentially disruptive passengers include persons in the custody of law enforcement personnel, mentally disturbed persons under escort, deportees and inadmissible persons can be transported with the approval from DGCA.
What are the prohibited items other than weapons/ fire arms that cannot be carried in my hand luggage?
There are few other items that is prohibited to carry in your hand luggage on international aircraft under any circumstance.
- Bows, crossbows and arrows slingshots and catapults, Disabling or Incapacitating
- Items such as devices for shocking, such as stun guns and stun batons; animal stunners and animal killers , disabling and incapacitating chemicals, gases and sprays, such as mace, pepper or capsicum sprays, acid sprays, animal repellent sprays, and tear gas.
- Knives and Cutting Tools,
- Bludgeons such as sporting equipment such as baseball and softball bats, clubs and batons, such as Billy clubs, blackjacks and night sticks; and martial arts equipment,
- Explosives / Ammunition / Flammable Liquids / Corrosives
- Any other articles such as , ice picks, alpenstocks, straight razors and elongated scissors
- Workers’ Tools,
- Chemicals and biological items such as Sulphur mustard, vx, chlorine, sarin, hydrogen cyanide, anthrax, botulism, smallpox, tularemia and viral hemorrhagic fever
Point of contacts for important Aviation security issues:
A. ICAO point of contact –
i) Director General of Civil Aviation & Chief Executive Officer and Appropriate Authority for Aviation Security
Name - Mr. P.A. Jayakantha
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Telephone (Fixed)- +94 112 358 802 , Mobile No – 077-3520586
ii) Alternate official –
Director (Aviation Security)
Name - Air Vice Marshal H.N.Abeysinghe (Retd.)
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Telephone - +94 112 358 832, Mobile No – 077-3115977
B. Additional Security requests by other Contracting States and the National Operators –
i) Director General of Civil Aviation & Chief Executive Officer
Name - Mr. P.A. Jayakantha
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Telephone- +94 112 358 802, Mobile No – 077-3520586
ii) Designated official –
Director (Aviation Security)
Name - Air Vice Marshal H.N.Abeysinghe (Retd.)
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Telephone - +94 112 358 832, Mobile No – 077-3115977
C. Cyber Security –
1) CAASL representative for ICAO Cyber Security Panel –
Chief Executive Officer, Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT)
Name - Mr. Jayasiri Amarasena
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i) Director General of Civil Aviation & Chief Executive Officer
Name - Mr. P.A. Jayakantha
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ii) Civil Aviation Inspector (Security Standards)
Name – Kawthisha Karunarathna
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