India congratulates Sri Lanka Air Force on first ever commissioning of women pilots

India congratulated the commissioning of Flying Officers ADPL Gunarathne and RT Weerawardana as first ever women pilots in Sri Lanka Air Force on November 16 as both officers completed their training at Indian Air Force Academy, Indian High Commission in Colombo said. 

“It is a matter of great pride and happiness notably for Sri Lanka but also for India. Both the officers were trained in the 204th Pilot Course of the Indian Air Force Academy at Hyderabad from July 2018 to June 2019,” the High Commission said in a statement. 

Training has been one of the strongest pillars of bilateral defence cooperation between India and Sri Lanka.  More than half of military training slots in India for foreign countries are provided to Sri Lanka, the statement said.

Annually, over 1200 personnel from Sri Lankan Armed Forces undergo training in India. Of these, nearly 250 are from the Sri Lanka Air Force. The joint training inculcates camaraderie and prepares the bedrock for cooperation between India and Sri Lanka to safeguard our common security interests and contribute to regional peace and security.