I am pleased to send this message to the souvenir published to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Air Traffic Engineering Officers’ Association of Sri Lanka (ATEOA).
First and foremost I would like to congratulate the ATEOA and its members on reaching the milestone of 25 years of association. Any association is created for a role and the continued existence of an association depends purely on how effectively this role is being played. The ATEOA could not have existed for quarter of a century which is a duration to be reckoned with, if it had not played well its part in looking after the interests of its members.
I am also pleased to note that the ATEOA is a member of the “International Federation of Air Traffic Safety Electronics Associations (IFATSEA)” which is a global organization representing the “Air Traffic Safety Electronics Personnel (ATSEP)” of different countries. Therefore one could consider this association while fostering the interests of its members, also to be representing the country at a global level which is commendable.
Being a Telecommunication Engineer myself, having experience associating some of the most critical telecommunication infrastructure development projects ever to be undertaken in the country, I require no elaboration on the vital role played by the ATSEP of AASL in maintaining Air Navigational Safety within our assigned region. This role would be further enhanced with the completion of several projects in the pipeline for upgrading our Air Traffic Management (ATM) system to be on par with global trends. Also, the Electronics & Air Navigation Engineering Division of AASL which employs the ATSEP is the division having the widest geographical distribution within the company, which includes remote stations. The role of this association in helping AASL to respond to calls of distress during national disasters is also noteworthy.
I hope that the members of ATEOA would continue to be the responsible, duty bound and committed set of personnel at AASL which they have been up to now so that the other stake holders of our Air Navigation Service Chain could continue to rely on them.
In conclusion, I wish to emphasize that as the Head of the Organization, it is my duty to recognize the multidisciplinary nature of AASL’s services and all parties that are involved in them and in the process, the ATEOA like all others, would receive my due attention.
I wish the ATEOA all the success in the years ahead based on the solid foundation built over 25 years.
Eng. Saman Ediriweera
Former Chairman
Airport & Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd.
