Sri Lanka’s national carrier, SriLankan Airlines recently joined a landmark worldwide drive to crack down on the illegal global trade in wildlife that has brought many of the world’s rare species close to extinction.

SriLankan was among several international airlines which pledged their full support for the ‘United for Wildlife’ initiative, at the annual general meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on 2nd June in Dublin, Ireland. The initiative by major organizations involved in conservation is being supported by the global transportation industry.

CEO of SriLankan Airlines Captain Suren Ratwatte, who signed on behalf of Sri Lanka’s National Carrier, said: “SriLankan Airlines has long been a pioneer of conservation within the global air transport industry, with ground-breaking initiatives such as our ‘Planet Friendly Flights’ as far back as 2009, and our own extensive conservation efforts are driven by our ‘Green Team’. We are delighted to join this valuable initiative which we have no doubt will significantly reduce trafficking in illegal species and animal products, and we hope this initiative will help to bring many species back from the verge of extinction.”