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Thai Airways to resume flights to Colombo
By Harischandra Gunaratna
Thai Airways International on Friday announced that the airline would resume passenger flight operations Colombo/ Bangkok, from 31 March, after a lapse of four years, with daily flghts.
Addressing the media, Thai Airways Director Sales Commercial Wit Kitchathorn said: “Sri Lanka was a very important destination for the airline in South Asia. The airline returns to the fold with renewed vigour and confidence following the COVID-19 pandemic. We will operate daily flights to Colombo from Bangkok. Before the pandemic, we had five flights a week.
Kitchathorn said in 2023 the airline had made profits to the tune of over 795 million USD. “We were able to pay up all its debts,” he said.
Asked how Thai Airways planned to promote religious tourism between Sri Lanka and Thailand, Kitchatorn said the tour arm of the airline, Royal Orchid Holidays, have realised the importance of that market segment. “We are vigorously promoting religious tourism. The first group of Thai Buddhist pilgrims of 30-40 pax are eagerly awaiting the resumption of Thai flights between Bangkok and Colombo to visit this country. And thereafter, Royal Orchid Holidays will bring in larger groups of Thai Buddhist tourists.
The senior airline manager said during the pandemic, Thai Airways had to cut down its overseas staff by 50 percent (from 30,000 to 15, 000). “I, too, had to return home from my post as the Country Manager of Thai Airways in London after the pruning down,” he said, air fleet also had to be drastically reduced due to the pandemic.
“We return to the fold with renewed vigour and confidence.”
Andre Fernando, Managing Director, MAC Holdings, the GSA for Thai Airways in Sri Lanka, a seasoned campaigner in passenger and cargo operations said, following the suspension of Thai passenger flights to Colombo only cargo flights were operated to Colombo transporting medical equipment and medical supplies with both the cabin and the cargo hold full of cargo.
He said that Thai would operate narrow bodied Airbus 320-200 with 12 economy plus seats and 156 economy class seats. The airline has decided to maintain a flight schedule of a flight leaving Bangkok at 21.05 and arriving in Colombo at 00.01 hours the following day. The flight departs Colombo for Bangkok 1.20 hours and arrives in Bangkok at 07.30 am, Fernando said.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
