About DP Aviation
INTRODUCTION
The Company commenced it’s business journey with the purchase of a modern Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX aircraft. The aircraft can accommodate up to 12 passengers in air-conditioned comfort.
David Pieris Aviation (Private) Limited is supported by and calls on the substantial resources of the David Pieris group of companies
COMMERCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Commercial considerations weighed positively in recognition of the opportunities that lay in wait in the domestic aviation sector such as, but not limited to, charter operations both for business and leisure, fare paying passenger demand, cargo operations, scenic flights, sky-diving and other commercial aviation related activities. It was concluded that the removal of the COVID 19 pandemic restrictions would lead to the expansion of domestic aviation related activities owing to demand from local and foreign market segments. An influx of expatriate visits long postponed due to the pandemic with the requirement to reach home destinations in the shortest time, expansion of tourism to a more affluent class and business visitors to the country in the light of the country’s drive to encourage foreign investment are our primary expectations.
Encouraging and substantial revenue achievements have been attained. The revenue is expected to further enhance in the following years with flights being advertised and operated on regular days to popular destinations at budget rates. Meanwhile, regular charter flights will operate for corporates and high net worth individuals further supplementing revenue. A few scenic flights also add to the mix.
COMPANY PHILOSOPHY & MISSION
DP Aviation aims to promote domestic air travel and other domestic aviation related activities as an affordable mode of travel by catering to market needs and customer requirements. Primarily, DP Aviation wishes to exploit the advantages of air travel vs ground transport which is a norm in other developed countries. It is even more pertinent considering Sri Lanka’s Road network.
Whilst profitability and sustainability are important milestones, contributing to the development of domestic aviation related activities and consequently the greater national interest are paramount. It is believed that a pricing strategy that encourages frequency and sustainability due to volume of revenue would encourage domestic aviation activities.
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Air Vice Marshal O D N L Perera (Retd)
Director/Accountable Manager
A decorated senior career Air Force officer who held the rank of Air Vice Marshal before retirement. Conversant with many aspects of aircraft maintenance and operations, having had many years of experience in aircraft maintenance and logged many hours as a flight engineer. Air Vice Marshall Perera held the positions of Director Aeronautical Engineering, General Engineering and Planning in the Sri Lanka Air Force. He received his training with the Royal Air Force UK, Indian Air Force, the United States Air Force and the US Pacic Command.
He has maintained and managed a fleet of more than one hundred aircraft of different origins during his aviation career.
Air Vice Marshall Perera also has extensive experience in the corporate sector having held the position of Chief Executive Officer in leading business enterprises.
Captain Johann Pieris
Director/ Chief Pilot
Captain Pieris has a long and illustrious career in the aviation industry. He joined Air Lanka as a cadet pilot at the age of 18 and in a short period gained both his commercial piloting license as well as Airline Transport Pilot License (with instrument rating) from the USA.
At the age of 25, he joined Gulf Air as a first officer, where he went on to be the youngest Asian Captain in the Middle East. That was followed by his appointment as Captain for Singapore Airlines, where he specialized in big jets, piloting the Mega Tops, the Boeing 747-400 and Air Bus A340-500, and in particular the non-stop flights from Singapore to Los Angeles and New York which were, at that time, the longest flights in the world. He was also a captain with Etihad Airways with the added responsibilities of being a simulator and flight instructor for the airline. He currently continues to fly for Sri Lankan Airlines.
Mr. Tariq Bongso
Head of Finance
Tariq Bongso has had extensive experience in aviation finance having worked in a premier helicopter company in the Gulf as it’s Chief Financial Officer for over two decades.
He is a qualified Chartered Management Accountant UK and counts aviation insurance, aviation borrowing, mergers and acquisitions among his achievements.
He has also served as a Director on various subsidiary boards.
Mrs. Rasika Kulasooriya
Quality/Compliance Monitoring Manager
Mrs. Rasika Kulasooriya is the Quality/Compliance Monitoring Manager of DP Aviation. She is an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer by profession who is locally and internationally trained on aeronautical engineering, HSE, QA & QC with 23+ years of aviation experience in both Military and Domestic Aviation in Sri Lanka.
She is among the first five lady Aircraft Maintenance Engineers in the Sri Lanka Air Force who graduated top of the batch in Aeronautical Engineering from Kotelawala Defense University with a Master’s Degree in Occupational Safety & Health Management from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka.
THE AIRCRAFT
MARKET SEGMENTS
