- Obtained AOC last month after a prolonged process of 3 years
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Colombo – Jaffna passenger operations lined up as first to commence
David Pieris Aviation Pvt Ltd is the brain child of David Pieris a well-known business entrepreneur, – an unsung hero – who has discreetly been making the grass greener of his home grounds with brilliant entrepreneurship and service to our country. A qualified pilot himself diversified his already well established Group of company businesses to provide the much needed domestic airline service to Sri Lanka.
David Pieris Aviation Pvt Ltd is the brain child of David Pieris a well-known business entrepreneur, – an unsung hero – who has discreetly been making the grass greener of his home grounds with brilliant entrepreneurship and service to our country. A qualified pilot himself diversified his already well established Group of company businesses to provide the much needed domestic airline service to Sri Lanka.
He has been an Aviation enthusiast with a history of flying a Beech Baron aircraft from USA to Sri Lanka and his son Capt Johann Pieris a well experienced airline Capt with over 26,000 Hrs of flying to his credit. It is this combination having aviation in their blood that decided to buy and operate an aircraft to serve the increasing demand for domestic aviation in Sri Lanka.
They have used the services of Air Vice Marshal O.D.N.Lal Perera (Retd) who has held the positions of Director Aeronautical Engineering, General Engineering and Planning in the Sri Lanka Air Force. He received his training with the Royal Air Force UK, Indian Air Force, the United States Air Force and the US Pacic Command.
A decorated senior career Air Force officer who held the rank of Air Vice Marshal before retirement, is conversant with many aspects of aircraft maintenance and operations, having had many years of experience in aircraft maintenance and logged many hours as a flight engineer within his career spanning more than three decades.
He has maintained and managed a fleet of more than one hundred aircraft of different origins during his aviation career.
Air Vice Marshall Perera schooled at St. Thomas’s College and Ananda College. After his illustrious service at the Air force he also gained extensive experience in the corporate sector having held the position of Chief Executive Officer in leading business enterprises.
With such a great combination of skills in his chosen profession, he had all the credentials and more to lead the pack at David Peiris Aviation.
David Peiris Aviation (Pvt) Ltd, a newly established domestic airline and a subsidiary of the David Peiris Group, officially received its Aircraft Operator Certificate (AOC) just last month and operations specifications (Ops-Specs) from the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) to operate scheduled domestic passenger flights after obtaining the Airline License.
As part of the certification process, the airline recently conducted a proving flight to demonstrate its operational readiness and capability for launching commercial services on the Colombo–Jaffna route. This flight marked the fourth phase of the AOC certification process- a critical step in assessing an operator’s capability prior to final authorization.
Following a successful evaluation, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) authorized that the David Peiris Aviation to commence regular schedule flights, Charter Flights, Private Flights and Aerial Works subjected to full compliance with all applicable aviation safety and security regulations.
The AOC was officially handed over recently to AVM O. D. N. L. Perera (Retd.), Accountable Manager of David Peiris Aviation (Pvt) Ltd by AVM Sagara Kotakadeniya (Retd.), DGCA & CEO. Capt. Daminda Rambukwella, Deputy Director General (Flight Safety Regulations) and Actg. Director (Air Operations), Mahilal Dushantha Rathnayake, Director (Aircraft Registration & Airworthiness).
With this Sri Lanka Tourism sector received a massive boost with an active Domestic Airline providing a much needed service, at this crucial moment in time when an influx of the tourism kind is anticipated, especially with the generally ongoing marketing campaigns that has strategically targeted top end Tourists.
Sunday Observer Explorer ventured to speak to Air Marshal Lal Perera, being the Accountable Manager of DP Aviation Private Ltd. and got him seated on the HOTSEAT to tell us of this positive turn in the winds of change DP Aviation is making in the Domestic Airlines scene.
Q. Tell us your experience with the process of obtaining this certification which gives your company Aircraft Operator Certification (AOC) – the license to fly aircraft, how long did the process take and how did you operate before you obtained this license?
A. The application and inspection process were thoroughly reviewed by CAASL’s Civil Aviation Inspectors, under the guidance of Air Vice Marshal Sagara Kotakadeniya (Retd.), DGCA & CEO, and the leadership of Capt. Daminda Rambukwella, Deputy Director General (Flight Safety Regulations) and Actg. Director (Air Operations).
The comprehensive inspection covered flight safety standards, airworthiness of aircraft, organizational structure, qualified personnel as post holders, operational readiness ground handling and security arrangements, and compliance with documentation requirements
All aviation service providers including AOC holders are reminded to uphold the highest standards of air safety and security and operate strictly within the approved regulatory framework to develop a sustainable development in Civil Aviation.
The application for AOC is a tedious process and it took us over 2 years to get the AOC. Before which we operated under the Aircraft Operator Certificate of Fits Air and operated on an Agreement with them.
With their AOC we operated from mid 2023 on scheduled flights to Jaffna two days or more sometimes of the week and on Charters up to the time of our own process for AOC that commenced in February this year.
Q. What is the aircraft that you operate on presently, what’s its capacity and what are your immediate plans for flight scheduling after obtaining the AOC?
A. The aircraft is a Ceffna 208 B Grand Caravan EX, it is a 12 seater. The aircraft is fully air-conditioned, Gamin 1000 navigational system and engine trend monitoring by the engine manufacturer.
Air Vice Marshal Lal Perere (retd.) Accountable Manager and Group Captain Pulasthi Jalyasinha (Retd.) Consultant-Flight Operations
We will operate 2 regular flights to Jaffna from Colombo International Airport Ratmalana to Jaffna International Airport we can operate to any other airfields such as Trinco Batticaloa, Vavuniya, Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, Hinguakgoda, Ampara Weerawila, Mattala, Koggala, Katukurunde, Katunayake, Trincomalee, Ratmalana, Jaffna, Vavuniya in Sri Lanka on Charters.
We are cleared to do aerial work – sky diving, aerial photography, advertising as well as scenic flights. As for the scenic flights how it operates is, when you take off from Ratmalana to cover areas like Sigiriya or Nuwera Eliya or Galle fort area, maybe over Colombo.
Q. What are the difficulties if any in your planned operations hereafter to serve the guests?
A. In order to develop domestic Aviation it needs a lot of support by way of subsidies, such as tax exemptions and development of Airfields with modern navigational aides.
Security measure which were in force at the time of civil war, which was rigerous appears redundant at this time therefore they must be evaluated to suit the present times, without compromising safety and security of the operations.
Q. You have one aircraft which has a capacity of 12 passengers and this by far is the largest number of passenger carrying domestic air transport in the country at the moment, What plans do you have for exapansion? Isn’t that necessary?
A. Currently the capacity of our aircraft is for 12 passengers. However for example, If there is a group of 35, we can cover their transport carrying out 3 shuttle flights.
We are looking at adding more aeroplanes taking into consideration the demand that it will build up.
We find that that there are lot of inquiries coming in – we need to have this advertised sufficiently for the awareness of the potential clients. This is a product for top end tourists where they value time.
Colombo Jaffna by road is 7 to 8 hours. A good domestic aircraft takes the same distance in 70 minutes.
Q. Any other plans that would make it a great benefit for the potential client?
A. Even to Jaffna we intend to operate a day flight within the day so that it will be used by who wants to travel to work. One day of the week day flight where you go in the morning and come back in the evening. Round trip within the day essentially.
Q. what about the human resources for this operation . Is it adequate?
A. We have very experienced ex Air force pilots to operate the aircraft. They are knowledgeable about the weather patterns of the country. Maintenance of the aircraft is being managed by an approved maintenance organization, consisting of very experienced engineers and technicians. .
Q. What do you have to say about the safety aspect of the airline operations?
A. This operation is going to be very strictly monitored by the civil aviation authority. We have a safety and a quality assurance section through which regular audits and inspections are carried out to ensure that the operations are conducted complying to all the regulatory requirements and the laid down safety standards by the authority.
Q. How do you see your service that is being welcomed by tour operators so that they can offer better packages for their clients, especially the top end clients that will boost tourism?
A. Domestiic air product is to support tourism. Specially the Jaffna flight it is with a thin profit margin, it is considered more a service to the country than it being commercial. Only the charter flights its economical for us. Depending on the demand we will schedule regular flights to Trincomalee and Baticaloa. We are excited to provide this service and look forward to exoansion with the expected demand for same.
Pix by- Shan Rambuwella
