New SriLankan CEO assumes duties

Captain Suren Ratwatte assumed duties as the Chief Executive Officer of the national carrier, SriLankan Airlines on October 15.

Capt. Ratwatte is an airline pilot with over 30 years of experience in the field. His first appointment was with SriLankan's predecessor, Air Lanka in 1984. Thereafter, he joined Emirates in 1989, where he held several positions. With over 18,000 flying hours in different types of aircraft, including the Boeing B-777 and Airbus A380, he was deeply immersed in airline operations for many years.

Captain Ratwatte who holds Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and the author of several published works.

He is also a well-known Human Factors researcher and practitioner, having published a number of articles and essays in the field. His expertise includes a variety of senior instructional and management roles in airlines, most recently as the Human Factors Manager of Emirates Airlines.

Capt. Ratwatte takes over from the outgoing Pro-tem CEO and Director, Rakhita Jayawardena.