Sajin Vaas not on COSMOS board
COSMOS Aviation Services on Friday said that its former Director Sajin De Vaas Gunawardena is no longer on the board but fell short of disclosing the owner of the said company.
When Business Times contacted COSMOS Aviation, a company official speaking anonymously stated that Mr. Gunawardena was not on the board but did not wish to disclose details of the owners of the flying school.
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Director General H.M.C. Nimalsiri however told the Business Times on Friday that according to information made available to them Mr. Gunawardena was still on the board of COSMOS Aviation.
In the meantime, he said the CAA would be writing to the Airport and Aviation Services Ltd to ascertain the present condition on the leasing of the hangar to COSMOS Aviation Services. The CAA last week carried out an audit on the COSMOS Aviation in order to grant an extension on the license that would be carried out only when the AASL gives the go ahead on leasing of a hangar for the flying school operator.
Mr. Nimalsiri observed this was mandatory for the airline to operate and noted that the company’s flying training operations were the only aspects that were subject to the audit.
Aviation, Ports and Shipping Minister Arjuna Ranatunga said last Tuesday that the former Monitoring MP Vaas Gunawardena was no longer a director on the board of the controversially operated COSMOS Aviation.
He told a media briefing at the Ratmalana airport that with the Sirisena administration assuming office Rs.24 million due to the government was immediately paid up by the aviation company that also operates a flying school. The minister was on an inspection tour of the airport . Mr. Ranatunga said the airport would in future be used mainly as a civil airport while maintaining the security of the location under the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF).
During the meeting he also said that at times officials at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Airport and Aviation Services (AASL) were made helpless in carrying out their duties and which would not be allowed in the future.
Authorities have received at least 10 requests for space in hangars at the Ratmalana airport and these would be considered, the minister said.
In the meantime, SriLankan Airlines is due to submit its interim report on the investigation carried out into irregularities at the national carrier by March 10. The investigation is headed by renowned lawyer and former Transparency International Sri Lanka head J.C. Weliamuna.