Who is Suren?
Suren Ratwatte, FRAeS, is an accomplished pilot, airline executive and aviation researcher.
He became one of the world’s first Airbus A380 Captains, was previously SriLankan Airlines’ CEO and has also been featured in several books and academic publications.
Category: Uncategorized
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SriLankan Airlines in the context of the country’s financial meltdown
Whither the national airline? With the country embroiled in a financial meltdown of unprecedented proportions, on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, Parliament confirmed Ranil Wickremesinghe as the nation’s eighth Executive President by a clear margin. One of the many challenges facing the new President is the future of the state-owned national carrier, SriLankan Airlines. A perennially…
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The disappearance of the Boeing 777— has the mystery been solved?
MH370 — Seven years later This is the third time I have written about the tragic case of MH370. I hope that we can resolve this mysery and find some closure for the families who are left behind. Seven years have passed since a Boeing 777–200ER operated by Malaysia Airlines, using the call sign MH370,…
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The crash of Icelandic Airlines flight LL001 — Part 1
The crash of Icelandic Airlines flight LL-001 In 1978 Sri Lanka was emerging from a long period of economic isolation. A landmark election the year before had ushered in a change of government, with a mandate to open up the economy. Rebuilding ties with the West, long-ignored during a period of austerity and socialist policies,…
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Martinair Flight 138 – Sri Lanka’s worst air disaster
It was December 1974 and the Hajj was in full swing. The Hajj has been called the greatest pilgrimage movement in the world, with millions of devout Muslims travelling to Mecca every year. It is a requirement for every Muslim to accomplish the Hajj at least once in their lifetime. This has been a lucrative…
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SriLankan Airlines post-COVID. Does it have a future?
This is Part 1 of a two part interview with Counterpoint magazine. SriLankan Airlines continues to bleed money- who would care enough to make it stop? SriLankan Airlines Oct 25, 2020 Heavily unionized and long used as a playpen by politicians, the SriLankan Airlines Group has incurred a loss amounting to billions in rupees.…
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Tired of COVID let’s talk about the weather
The Monsoon – a basic guide “And then the rains came….” Which they seem to have done last night in Colombo – the Southwest monsoon making an on-time arrival. The Southwest Monsoon is one of the most interesting meteorological events in the world. It is also, literally, the single biggest indicator of economic performance for…
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The MAX dilemma and a lost wager……..
Boeing, the MAX and the Virus Boeing, the world’s oldest and (until recently) largest aircraft manufacturer, has had an ‘annus horribilis’ since the second fatal crash of the best-selling Boeing 737 MAX in March 2019. As the anniversary of the tragic crash approached, Boeing was a facing a financial crisis on top of being dethroned…
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The Lockheed TriStar – a forgotten marvel
The Lockheed L-1011 TriStar – forever the bridesmaid, never the bride Sri Lankans of a certain age will recall the TriStar fondly. It was the flagship of national carrier Air Lanka at a time when the country was exiting a long period of austerity with hopes of ushering in the dawn of prosperity. The glory…
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The Dakota – a tribute to the aircraft that changed aviation
The Douglas DC-3 ushers in a new era Aviation in the United States was on the cusp of major change. Thanks to the US Post Office’s airmail initiative in the 1920s, airlines had found they could operate at a profit. But they were almost entirely reliant on air mail. Flying passengers alone was not commercially…
