Business

Seeing is believing – the silent scale behind SriLankan’s ground operation

Published

6 months ago

2026/02/23

“Sathkara” is a value-added service offered by SriLankan Airlines Ground Handling to ensure a seamless travel experience at the BIA.

11 departures managed within a single peak hour

By the Numbers: SriLankan Ground Operations at BIA (2025)

5,200 flights handled per month
500,000 baggage pieces processed per month
9.9 million passengers handled in 2025
61,000 aircraft movements recorded for the year

In aviation, opinions travel faster than aircraft. But numbers, when examined closely, have a way of silencing assumptions.

Few Sri Lankans realise the sheer scale at which SriLankan Airlines’ Airport & Ground Services division operates daily at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA). The operation is not merely busy; it is industrial in magnitude.

Consider this: at BIA alone, the division handles an average of 5,200 flights per month. That translates to well over 170 aircraft movements a day. Each movement is a tightly choreographed sequence involving passenger services, baggage systems, load control, ramp coordination, pushback operations and safety clearances.

Now consider baggage. Around 500,000 pieces are processed every month. Half a million individual items – tagged, sorted, transferred, loaded, unloaded and reconciled – within a system that leaves very little room for error.

In 2025, the division handled 9.9 million passengers. This is particularly striking because BIA’s earlier nominal capacity stood at around six million passengers annually. Without a proportional expansion of physical space, throughput has surged by nearly 65 percent beyond that original benchmark.

Aircraft movements for the year reached approximately 61,000. That figure alone reflects the operational tempo at Sri Lanka’s primary international gateway. Each aircraft arrival and departure represents a web of services – from marshalling and ground power connection to catering coordination, cabin cleaning, fuelling synchronisation and weight-and-balance calculations.

The numbers intensify during peak periods. Within a single hour, the team is capable of managing up to 11 departures. In most traditional airport models, six departures per hour would be considered standard capacity. Exceeding that consistently requires precision timing, disciplined teamwork and technological support.

Deepal Pallegangoda, Head of Airport & Ground Services, sees these figures not as statistics but as proof of resilience.

“People often look at staff numbers and divide them by the fleet of aircraft,” he said during a recent media tour. “But they rarely consider the complexity behind each movement – or the fact that we serve 34 foreign airlines in addition to SriLankan flights.”

That distinction matters. The division is not an inward-looking support unit; it is a commercial ground handling operation servicing international carriers, charter operators and ad hoc flights. In essence, it competes and performs within a global service framework.

Nearly 20 percent of SriLankan passengers now check in through self-service kiosks – a technological shift that has eased congestion and improved passenger flow. The facility has already been extended to foreign carriers such as Singapore Airlines, with more airlines expected to adopt it. This is productivity enhanced not by expanding space, but by re-engineering processes.

Behind these volumes stands a workforce of around 2,500 ground handling employees -part of the airline’s total staff of 6,500. But here again, numbers need context. Productivity gains, training investments and technology integration have allowed the same physical footprint to support nearly 10 million passenger movements annually.

Financially, the division generates approximately USD 5.5 million in revenue, with profits around USD 3.4 million – a reminder that ground handling is not simply a support function but a revenue-earning enterprise contributing foreign exchange to the country.

Safety metrics underpin every statistic. The division is ISAGO-certified under the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations, ensuring compliance with international safety and operational standards. Load control and weight-and-balance management critical to flight safety are executed under strict procedural discipline, even during high-frequency peak hours.

The real story, however, lies in the gap between perception and performance.

It is easy to speak in generalities about state enterprises. It is harder to confront the operational mathematics: 5,200 flights a month. 500,000 bags. 9.9 million passengers. 61,000 aircraft movements a year. Eleven departures within a single hour.

These are not abstract figures. They represent travellers arriving home, migrant workers departing for livelihoods abroad, tourists forming first impressions of Sri Lanka, and other airlines trusting in reliability.

In aviation, excellence is measured in minutes and millimetres. When things run smoothly, the effort disappears into routine. When they do not, the spotlight sharpens instantly.

“Sometimes, the most compelling defence is not rhetoric – it is arithmetic,” observed Deepal Pallegangoda, expressing appreciation to the SriLankan Corporate Communications team headed by Deepal Perera for arranging the media tour, enabling reporters to see the ground realities for themselves and separate perception from performance.

By Sanath Nanayakkare

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Business

AIA delivers strong first half results in 2026; double-digit growth across key financial metrics

Published

6 hours ago

2026/09/5

Thilina Walpola

The Board of AIA Group Limited (the “Company”) is pleased to announce the Group’s financial results for the six months ended 30 June 2026. Growth rates are shown on a constant exchange rate basis unless otherwise stated:

New business performance and embedded value

Value of new business (VONB) of US$3,212 million, up 10 per cent overall and 14 per cent excluding Thailand(1)

Record high annualised operating ROEV of 18.0 per cent, up from 15.8 per cent in full year 2025

EV Equity of US$83.4 billion, up 6 per cent per share over the first half on an actual exchange rate basis

IFRS earnings

Operating profit after tax (OPAT) of US$4,163 million, up 13 per cent per share

AIA now expects to exceed OPAT per share CAGR target of 9 to 11 per cent from 2023 to 2026(2)

Record high annualised operating ROE of 17.5 per cent, up from 15.5 per cent in full year 2025

Cash generation and capital returns

Underlying free surplus generation (UFSG) of US$3,935 million, increased by 10 per cent per share

Net free surplus generation (net FSG) of US$2,758 million, up 12 per cent per share

US$3.6 billion returned to shareholders in the first half through dividend and share buy-back

Interim dividend increased by 10 per cent to 53.90 Hong Kong cents per share

Lee Yuan Siong, AIA’s Group Chief Executive and President, said:

“AIA has delivered another strong performance in the first half of 2026, with double-digit growth across our key financial metrics, while continuing to return substantial capital to shareholders. VONB reached a record high of US$3.2 billion with growth across all distribution channels, and all reportable segments excluding Thailand. The Group has achieved 17 per cent CAGR since the first half of 2023(3), demonstrating consistently strong demand for AIA’s professional advice and differentiated products.

“At the core of our unrivalled distribution platform is our market-leading Premier Agency. I am delighted that AIA has once again been ranked the number one Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) multinational company globally. We have held this position for a record 12 consecutive years and we have more than double the number of MDRT members of our nearest competitor. In the first half of 2026, our Premier Agency achieved strong VONB growth of 11 per cent excluding Thailand(1). Our extensive network of strategic distribution partners further expands our market reach and generated an 18 per cent increase in VONB, supported by very strong performance in both the bancassurance and independent financial adviser (IFA) and broker channels.

“Strong new business, together with disciplined management of our in-force portfolio, has supported sustained growth in recurring earnings with OPAT per share up by 13 per cent in the first half. As a result, we expect to exceed our 9 to 11 per cent OPAT per share CAGR target for 2023 to 2026(2). UFSG, the Group’s core measure of operating cash generation, increased by 10 per cent per share. After allowing for new business investment, net FSG increased by 12 per cent per share. In accordance with our prudent, sustainable and progressive dividend policy, the Board has declared a 10 per cent increase in the interim dividend to 53.90 Hong Kong cents per share. These achievements demonstrate that our financial strategy is working as intended.

“Asia remains the most compelling growth opportunity for life and health insurance. Powerful structural tailwinds across the region continue to create substantial demand for our professional advice and differentiated products and underpin the exceptional long-term prospects for AIA’s business. I am confident that AIA’s disciplined execution of our strategic priorities will continue to deliver long-term sustainable value for all our stakeholders.”

Business

British Council Sri Lanka launches soft skills workshops to elevate learning and empower communication

Published

6 hours ago

2026/09/5

Thilina Walpola

The British Council team answering questions on Corporate English Solutions from leading corporates about professional development skills courses

The British Council Sri Lanka has launched Corporate English Solutions (CES), tailored to the Sri Lankan corporate and education ecosystem, aimed at helping organisations strengthen workplace communication and professional development.

The launch event took place recently at the NH Collection, Colombo 3, gathering corporate partners, clients and education stakeholders throughout the country.

CES extends the British Council’s long-standing work in English language education and teacher training into a dedicated offering for the corporate sector. The launch introduced two new components to the British Council’s presence in Sri Lanka such as public workshops and teacher training programmes, open to learners and educators beyond the organisation’s existing corporate and academic partners. Guests at the event were shown a short video introducing Corporate English Solutions before the formal proceedings began.

Talal Meer, British Council Regional Business Development Director, South Asia, welcomed guests and introduced the British Council’s team in Sri Lanka. In his remarks, Meer set out the scope of the CES launch, covering the introduction of public workshops in Sri Lanka, the rollout of teacher training programmes, and an overview of the CES product portfolio. Meer’s role covers educational partnerships in the South Asia region, and his address framed the Sri Lanka launch within the British Council’s broader regional strategy.

Business

Ogilvy Group tops award tally at ‘Dragons of Sri Lanka’ 2026

Published

6 hours ago

2026/09/5

Thilina Walpola

Ogilvy Group Sri Lanka delivered a standout performance at the recently concluded Dragons of Sri Lanka 2026 Awards, securing a total of nine awards comprising two Gold Dragons, one Silver Dragon and six Black Dragons, among the festival’s highest overall award tallies. Gold Dragon wins for Phoenix Ogilvy and Ogilvy Digital, together with the seven additional recognitions across multiple categories, highlighted Ogilvy’s ability to combine creativity, strategic thinking and commercial effectiveness to deliver business results.

Organised by the 4As Sri Lanka, the third edition of Dragons of Sri Lanka shortlisted more than 50 agencies and corporates, making it one of the country’s most competitive marketing communications awards. These local awards, along with the chapters in Malaysia and Pakistan are part of the Dragons of Asia platform, one of the region’s leading programmes for marketing communications effectiveness, with entries being judged on strategy, originality, execution and measurable results.

Ogilvy Digital accounted for eight awards in total, including a Gold Dragon in the Business & Trade Marketing category, and a Silver Dragon in the Innovative Idea or Concept category. The Agency additionally received six Black Dragons across the categories of Innovative Idea or Concept, Business & Trade Marketing, Content Creation, Small Budget, Event or Experiential, and Brand Trial or Sales Generation.

Commenting on the achievement, Sajith Weerasinghe, Chief Operating Officer of Ogilvy Digital, said, “These recognitions reflect the breadth of capabilities we’ve built across strategy, creative, content, experience design, technology and performance marketing. The fact that the work was recognised across so many different disciplines demonstrates our ability to apply creativity to a wide range of business challenges and objectives. We’re proud that this achievement spans multiple clients, categories and types of work, reflecting both the versatility of our people and our commitment to delivering results.”