Women in Aviation Sri Lanka (WAISL) successfully hosted a special International Women’s Day event, bringing together aviation professionals, industry leaders, students and aspiring aviation enthusiasts for an engaging panel discussion and networking session focused on empowering women in aviation.
The event aimed to highlight the wide range of careers available within aviation while encouraging greater participation of women across all sectors of the industry. Through personal experiences and professional insights, the panelists demonstrated that aviation offers opportunities far beyond traditional roles, including engineering, flight operations, leadership, aviation services and training.
The distinguished panel featured accomplished professionals representing different segments of the aviation industry:
- Sqn Ldr Dishani Moraes, Aircraft Engineer, Sri Lanka Air Force
- Dr. Upuli Warnakula, ICAO Global Ambassador, Vice President – WAISL, and Cabin Supervisor/ Lecturer
- Parveen Dassenaike, Chairperson and Managing Director, United Ventures Pvt. Ltd
- Nishara Sayer Preena, President – WAISL and Vendor Relations Manager Asia & Pacific at UAS International Trip Support
- Harshani Wijayasinghe, Senior First Officer, SriLankan Airlines
The panel discussion was skillfully moderated by Mayuri Hanwellage, Head of Department – Aviation Professional Training and Senior Lecturer at CINEC Campus, who also serves as the Membership Chairperson of WAISL.
Throughout the discussion, panelists shared their personal journeys within aviation, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities women encounter in the industry. Their stories underscored the importance of diversity, mentorship, and representation, while inspiring the next generation to pursue careers in aviation with confidence.
As part of its mission, Women in Aviation Sri Lanka continues to create platforms that promote diversity, encourage young women to explore aviation careers, and strengthen the professional network within the industry. This event marked the first of many initiatives planned by WAISL to bring its vision of a more inclusive aviation community to life.
WAISL extends its sincere appreciation to the event sponsors whose support contributed to the success of the event: Blue Skies, Open Skies, Advantis Aviation Services (Hayleys Aviation), Delvon Security and Investigation (Pvt) Ltd, Fly Away Academy and Port City Colombo.
The event was held at the Port City Colombo Sales Gallery – located within Sri Lanka’s first multi-services Special Economic Zone dedicated to the export of modern services. Designed to attract global investment and support industries shaping the next phase of economic growth, Port City Colombo offers a platform for globally connected sectors, including aviation services, logistics, and related regional operations to expand their footprint from Sri Lanka. This provided a fitting backdrop for meaningful discussions, collaboration, and networking within Sri Lanka’s aviation community, helping attract a diverse audience eager to learn more about opportunities within the industry.
Women in Aviation Sri Lanka also thanks the panelists, moderator, volunteers, and participants whose engagement and enthusiasm made the event a meaningful celebration of International Women’s Day and a strong step forward in empowering women in aviation.
