Business
SriLankan Airlines’ pioneering aviation workshop for journalists, a ‘runway success’
SriLankan Airlines wrapped up a successful, pioneer two-day workshop on airline operations for local journalists from 13 – 14 September 2023 in Katunayake, laying the groundwork for a new breed of aviation journalism. A first by an airline, the programme illustrated key operational functions including flight operations, engineering, inflight services, ground handling, aviation safety and civil aviation regulations for a 50-strong audience of news and business journalists from English, Sinhala and Tamil language press, radio, TV and digital media organizations.
The workshop was hosted at the SriLankan Aviation College in Katunayake, with the support of the college and close to a dozen internal and external resource persons representing the airline and aviation industry themes that were covered in the programme. The inauguration of the event was attended by the senior management of the airline including Chief Executive Officer, Richard Nuttall, who shared his thoughts on the present and future of aviation in the region.
Day one launched with a welcome and introduction speech by Manager Corporate Communications, Deepal Perera, which was followed by a virtual session on safety in aviation by Assistant Director, Operations, Safety and Security, Asia-Pacific, Capt. Jose Fernandez, and Head of Corporate Communications, Albert Tjoeng, from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The rest of the day’s sessions were delivered by internal resource persons Technical Pilot, Capt. Jayaska Baranage, on Flight Operations; Instructor, Evangeline Lappen, on Inflight Operations; Training and Capability Development Manager of SriLankan Engineering, Amila Fernando, on Engineering; and Airport Service Manager – Training & Development, Thereka Thilakawardena, on Ground Handling.
Day two commenced with a session on Safety and Crisis Management by Flight Safety Manager, Capt. Shavantha Pedris, and Crisis Management Manager, Prasadini Perera. Manager People Engagement and HR Support Services, Niroshan Ranawake, and Marketing & Business Development Manager, Jayani Senanayake, and Deputy General Manager, Kalinga Hiranya, of the SriLankan Aviation College also spoke on their areas of work. The in-class sessions rounded off with presentations by Deputy Director General (Air Transport & Security Regulation) of the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka, Rayhan Wanniappa, and Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications of Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka), Dr. Sumith de Silva.
The programme laid bare the basics of an airline and the aviation industry, and journalists heard it first-hand from the very experts that run things behind the scenes. For a pioneering effort, the workshop turned out to be a runway success with the participants commenting on how insightful the experience was.
SriLankan Airlines’ first Aviation Workshop for Journalists did not go without a tour of SriLankan’s 747 aircraft hangar, which also turned out to be a first for some of the participants, who enthusiastically snapped up photos. The day wrapped up with a closing session and all the journalists were awarded certificates of participation.
Sri Lanka Insurance Life (SLIC Life), the nation’s largest and strongest Life Insurer, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Sameera Dharmasena as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 22nd September 2026.
Dr. Dharmasena is a distinguished insurance professional with over 21 years of experience in the Sri Lankan insurance industry, having held senior leadership positions across several leading insurance companies affiliated with some of Sri Lanka’s largest business conglomerates. His extensive career spans both local and multinational insurance environments, bringing together broad industry expertise, strategic leadership and a strong commitment to the advancement of the insurance profession.
By Hiran H. Senewiratne
The CSE yesterday indicated mixed reactions as the oil price hike and other external and internal factors moved the All Share Price Index on a downward trajectory.
The All Share Price Index went down by 18.26 points, while the S and P SL20 declined by 1.19 points.
Turnover stood at Rs 1.3 billion with five crossings. Those crossings were: Pickme crossed 500,000 shares to the tune of Rs 77.5 million; its shares traded at Rs 155, Lanka IOC 542,000 shares crossed for Rs 70 million; its shares traded at Rs 130, Access Engineering 800,000 shares crossed to the tune of Rs 64 million; its shares traded at Rs 80, Dipped Products 1 million shares crossed to the tune of Rs 63 million; its shares sold at Rs 52 and Sampath Bank 450,000 shares crossed for Rs 63 million; its shares sold at Rs 140.
In the retail market companies that mainly contributed to the turnover were; Pickme Rs 134 million (854,000 shares traded), Cal Found Rs 110 million (8.5 million shares traded), Dipped Products Rs 109 million (1.8 million shares traded), Access Engineering Rs 80 (999,000 shares traded), Kotagala Plantations Rs 50 million (6.2 million shares traded), JKH Rs 44 million (2.3 million shares traded) and Sampath Bank Rs 28 million (199,000 shares traded). During the day 46 million share volumes changed hands in 10696 transactions.
It is said that transport sector related counters, especially Pickme, led the market. Further manufacturing sector counters, especially JKH and Dipped Products, also performed well. Banking sector counters, especially Sampath Bank, performed significantly.
Meanwhile, People’s Leasing & Finance announced that its debenture issue to raise up to Rs 10 billion was oversubscribed after receiving applications exceeding Rs 10 billion , closing the issue on September 23.
Colombo Dockyard disclosed share dealings by director-related entity Senthilverl Holdings, which purchased and sold 17,086 shares at Rs 119 and Rs 122 each, on September 22.
Yesterday the rupee was quoted at Rs 330.00/80 to the US dollar in the spot market from Rs 329.50/75 the previous day, while bond yields edged up slightly, dealers said.
First Energy SL (Pvt) Ltd has won two awards at the Sri Lanka Clean Energy Week Leadership Awards 2026 for a building-integrated solar installation at the new People’s Bank head office in Colombo. The awards were presented on 21 August 2026 at Hotel Marino, Colombo, during Sri Lanka Clean Energy Week, an industry event organised by SolarQuarter.
The company received Project of the Year: Building-Integrated Solar (BIPV) and Technology Innovation of the Year: Building-Integrated Solar (BIPV). Both awards were made for the same project.
The installation sits at the top of the bank’s 24-storey head office, where solar modules form a waterproof architectural roof over a terrace more than 75 metres above street level. First Energy says it is the first system of its nature in Sri Lanka.
Conventional rooftop solar is mounted onto a finished building. In a building-integrated system the modules are the building element itself. Here the array takes the place of what would otherwise have been a solid pergola roof, and has to keep rain out as well as generate electricity.
The architectural design called for a pergola with a set spacing and a particular quality of filtered light on the terrace below. Standard solar modules are made in fixed sizes with minimum light passthrough, and none suited the design. The modules were therefore fully custom-made to the architectural requirements, featuring both custom dimensions and a reduced cell density, allowing part of the daylight to pass through to the terrace.
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