Colonel (Retired) Ranjith Rajasinghe has been appointed chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL), the regulator said.
Rajasinghe is expected to assume duties on August 25, Ada Derana reported. He succeeds Sunil Jayaratne, who has stepped down from the post. Hiru News, also citing the Civil Aviation Authority, said the appointment follows Jayaratne’s resignation.
Neither outlet gave a reason for the resignation, and no date was reported for when Jayaratne left the position.
The role
The CAASL is the state regulator for Sri Lanka’s civil aviation sector. Its remit covers aviation safety oversight, licensing and the regulatory functions that govern airlines, airports and air navigation services operating in the country.
The chairmanship changes hands at a busy period for the regulator. The authority has been working through a series of policy files this year, among them a pilot project for passenger-carrying drones and proposals concerning helipad and aviation infrastructure. Sri Lanka’s airport system has also been handling rising traffic volumes, and the regulator has issued public warnings about fraudulent social media accounts operating in its name.
Background not disclosed
Neither report set out Rajasinghe’s professional background beyond his retired military rank, and no details were given on his prior aviation experience or the term of his appointment. As of Sunday evening no further official statement had been published by the authority elaborating on the appointment.
The chairmanship is distinct from the office of the authority’s Director General of Civil Aviation and Chief Executive Officer, who serves as its principal executive on technical and regulatory matters.
