A woman has made history after being appointed as the first female captain of a SriLankan Airlines flight.
A woman has made history after being appointed as the first female captain of a SriLankan Airlines flight.
Anusha Siriratne, who joined the company as a cadet pilot in 1998, will take the helm of some of the airline’s fleet of Airbuses and officials said it will help to bring SriLankan in line with other carriers that have long had women in top roles.
“Sri Lanka has been in the forefront of women’s empowerment and it is certainly high time that a Sri Lankan woman took command of an airliner,” said Manoi Gunawardena, chief executive of SriLankan Airlines.
Ms Siriratne’s husband is also a pilot with the company after receiving his captain’s appointment earlier this year.
The news makes them the first husband and wife pilot duo in the country.
SriLankan Airlines, previously known as Air Lanka, operates an Airbus fleet of 14 aircraft to destinations in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
This includes flights to India and Thailand, among other countries.