Sri Lanka, July 16 -- The Sri Lanka Air Force urged, the public to avoid flying kites around airports and runways, following an incident where a Y-12 aircraft that took off from the Ratmalana Airport yesterday for training faced severe risk due to kite strings.

The SLAF issuing a statement said "with the ongoing kite season, kite flying has increased near the country's runways and airport zones, posing a serious threat to aircraft safety.

Flying kites near runways is recognised globally as a leading cause of aviation accidents, directly obstructing flight operations.

Currently, frequent kite flying around runways in areas such as Katunayake, Ratmalana, Hingurakgoda, China Bay, Anuradhapura, Palaly, Katukurunda, Koggala, Vavuniya, Weera...