The Story of Bandaranaike International Airport’s Female Air Traffic Controllers

Female Air Traffic Controllers working for Airport & Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited must determine near accurate speeds, distances and velocity as the core of a safe landing and take-off in the work that goes behind the scenes to ensure this. During a visit to the Bandaranaike International Airport’s Air Traffic Control tower, the Lanka Woman had the opportunity to witness the efforts and dedication put forth by the female Air Traffic Controllers to ensure the smooth landing and take-off of aircrafts arriving and departing Katunayaka.

Words - Kamanthi Wickramasinghe
Photos - Jagath Dharmakeerthi

A panel of highly sophisticated radar systems greeted us as we entered the approached radar control section. It is from here that all arrive and departing aircrafts are given the proper distances and speeds. “We give them adequate separation between departure and arrival and between two arrivals if there is a lot of arrivals in bound we have to bring them to final approach with the minimum gap so they can land their aircraft and vacate the runway before the other aircraft lands,” said Deshani Edirisinghe one of the most experienced watch managers at the radar control team.
“I joined in 1998 and was at the control tower. Later on I became an Approached Radar Controller,” she said, reflecting on her career. It is at the radar control room that all arriving and departing aircrafts to and from Katunayaka are being controlled. 

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