SriLankan Aviation College takes airline training to Jaffna, Batticaloa, Galle and Kurunegala

The SriLankan Aviation College has appointed Nawaloka Air Services as its franchise partner to expand airline training to four provinces, providing invaluable opportunities for young Sri Lankans in the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Northwestern Provinces to embark upon rewarding careers in the global air transport and hospitality industries. The franchise agreement was signed on 5th May 2016 at the corporate headquarters of SriLankan Airlines in Colombo by SriLankan Airlines’ CEO Captain Suren Ratwatte and Chairman of Nawaloka Holdings Jayantha Dharmadasa. The SriLankan Aviation College (SLAC), the training arm of SriLankan Airlines, is ranked by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as one of the Top Ten aviation industry training centres in the world and is a Regional Training Partner of IATA. Each provincial centre will have accreditation from IATA, the global body that drives standards and education in the aviation industry. Capt. Ratwatte said: “We are delighted to appoint Nawaloka Air Services (Pvt) Ltd as our franchise partner, a subsidiary of one of Sri Lanka’s most reputed diversified corporate houses - Nawaloka Holdings. It was selected from among a number of companies which responded to SLAC’s call for applications for a franchise partner.” Mr. Jayantha Dharmadasa, Chairman, Nawaloka Holdings said: “We are proud to be the chosen franchisee partner of Srilankan Airlines' in its Aviation College expansion. I would like to re-affirm our commitment and support to SriLankan Aviation College towards a successful business expansion in Aviation industry." The first franchise centre will be opened in Galle, followed by others in Batticaloa, Jaffna and Kurunegala. The diverse range of academic programmes that will be offered at the provincial centres will include the IATA/FIATA Introduction to Cargo; IATA/UFTAA Foundation Diploma in Travel & Tourism; IATA/UFTAA Consultancy Diploma in Travel & Tourism; IATA Airline Cabin Crew Diploma; Foundation Course in Airport Passenger Handling; Harvard Leadership and Management Diploma; Advanced Certificate in Airline Marketing; National Certificate in Aviation Management; National Diploma in Aviation Management; and Future Leaders Development Programme. Primal De Silva, General Manager, SriLankan Aviation College, added: “SLAC is already expanding its services to clients in the aviation industry throughout Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and the appointment of a franchisee to take our programmes to several major provinces in Sri Lanka is yet another milestone.” SLAC (www.srilankanaviationcollege.com) was formed in 2013 bringing together more than three decades of experience of the National Carrier in all aspects of aviation training. Located at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake, it provides a wide range of programmes through its six faculties - Travel & Tourism; Airport Services; Cargo & Dangerous Goods Regulations; Image Consultancy; Aircraft Maintenance Avionics; and Aircraft Maintenance Mechanicals. It gained global recognition last year when it was granted associate membership in the prestigious TRAINAIR PLUS programme of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). It is already accredited by international bodies such as IATA, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and the Civil Aviation Authorities of Sri Lanka, Maldives and Pakistan. It operates a branch in the Maldivian capital of Male, and an m-learning platform for distance learning. (Press Release)