International Civil Aviation Day celebrated under patronage of President

Civil Aviation Authority Chairman Upul Dharmadasa

CAA Director General Capt. Themiya Abeywickrama

The 77th anniversary of International Civil Aviation was celebrated under the patronage of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka, Katunayake on Thursday.

Seventy-seven years ago in 1944, after World War II, the Chicago Convention for the Regulation and Coordination of Aviation was signed by 26 nations. As a result, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) was established. Sri Lanka became a member of the organisation on 1 June 1948 and the ICAO currently has a membership of 193 countries.

On 7 December 1912, the first domestic flight took place at the RaceCourse Ground in Colombo, adding a new chapter to the history of aviation in Sri Lanka. The International Civil Aviation Day is celebrated in December each year to commemorate these events.

President Rajapaksa engaged in a cordial discussion with the employees of the Civil Aviation Authority and then visited the exhibition which showcased the creations made by the innovators on civil aviation. A work by artist Ravindra Dissanayake was also presented to the President.

Three short videos on ‘Aviation History and Journey,’ ‘The Role of Civil Aviation Regulation’ and ‘The Role of Civil Aviation in the face of COVID-19’ and on the promotion of civil aviation have been created in view of the celebration.

President Rajapaksa presented awards to five seniors in the field of civil aviation in recognition of their contribution to the advancement of the civil aviation sector and to three students symbolising a thousand students who won a competition organised by the Civil Aviation Authority via online in the period of school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as to several individuals representing various fields.

Civil Aviation Authority Chairman Upul Dharmadasa presented a memento to the President to mark his visit. State Minister D.V. Chanaka, Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority Upul Dharmadasa and Director General Capt. Themiya Abeywickrama addressed the gathering.

Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, Secretaries to the Ministries General (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne, S. Hettiarachchi, Janaka Sri Chandragupta, Chairman of Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Major General (Retd.) G.A. Chandrasiri, SriLankan Airlines Chairman Ashok Pathirage and other employees of the Authority were also present at the occasion.