"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain..... and my son will be flying this sector"

First father and son captains make history at SriLankan Airlines

SriLankan Airlines recorded a unique event when Captain Ranjit Pedris and Captain Shavantha Pedris became the first father and son to hold the coveted title of Captain in one airline at the same time in the history of Sri Lankan aviation.

SriLankan's Head of Flight Operations Capt. Druvi Perera said: "This is certainly a memorable event in the history of aviation in Sri Lanka, as there had not been a father and son duo of captains in up to now in either Air Ceylon or SriLankan. We congratulate both Captain Ranjit Pedris and Captain Shavantha Pedris on this unique achievement."

Capt. Ranjit Pedris, 60, is today the second most senior Captain at SriLankan Airlines.

He was one of the airline's pioneering flight crew, joining what was then AirLanka as a First Officer from Air Ceylon where he had started his career, and being confirmed as Captain in 1985.

A visibly delighted Capt.

Ranjit Pedris said: 'It is an extraordinary feeling to witness my son becoming a Captain of the airline which has been an integral part of my life for more than 30 years.

To be Captains together at the same time, and to be the first father and son to do so, is simply indescribable.

It is the pride of any father to have his son follow in his footsteps, but most are retired by the time their sons achieve a level of distinction. I have indeed been fortunate to witness my son being promoted to command while I too am flying.'

His son Capt. Shavantha Pedris joined the airline as a Cadet Pilot in 2002 and after six years as a First Officer carried out his first command flight on an Airbus A320 on the 18th of January 2010.Capt. Shavantha Pedris, who is now 30, added: "I didn't realise that my father and I would be making history until quite recently. There have been several Captains whose sons became First Officers, but in all those instances either the father left or retired, or the son left to another airline, so they were never Captains at SriLankan at the same time. I've flown five flights up to now as First Officer with my father as Captain, and each one was very special."

Looking forward to the future, Shavantha says that although there are many opportunities for pilots to join other airlines, he has his sights firmly set on the National Carrier.

"It is absolutely fantastic to fly for SriLankan.

We have a route network that enables us to experience so many cities from Europe in the west to Japan in the east.

Also, everyone at SriLankan knows us, and you're not just a number.

It's a great feeling to work with people whom my father has trained over the years.

It was more than good enough for my father for 30 years, so it's certainly good enough for me," he said.