Srilankan Airlines Group wins big at National Energy Efficiency Awards
The SriLankan Airlines Group won several awards in the ‘State Sector Buildings – Large Scale’ category at the Vidulka National Energy Efficiency Awards 2012.
The national carrier won the only Silver Award in the category, while its subsidiary SriLankan Catering Ltd. was awarded the sole Bronze Award. There were no Gold awards presented in this category. The awards are organised by the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority and the Ministry of Power & Energy, the airline said
Nishantha Wickremasinghe, Chairman of SriLankan Airlines and SriLankan Catering, said: “SriLankan Airlines takes great pride in being a global leader in conservation in the international air transport industry. The airline works according to the motto of ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ in all its operations. In 2012 we greatly strengthened our conservation efforts with the formation of a Go Green Team that strategically planned and executed all our environmental programmes, an initiative that has clearly resulted in suc-
There were no Gold awards presented in this category. The awards are organised by the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority and the Ministry of Power & Energy, the airline said
cess.”
Kapila Chandrasena, Director / CEO of the airline, said: “SriLankan adopted a Corporate Environment Policy as far back as 2008, and set up specialized units to spearhead conservation, including an Environmental Strategy & Compliance Unit, and an Aviation Fuel Department to monitor and optimize fuel usage. The airline has been inducting newer aircraft, which are more fuel efficient, and retiring older aircraft in the fleet. We also have a Corporate Environmental Policy, and a Corporate Energy Policy, all of which guide our Company and our staff towards the greater goal of conservation.”
Among the measures the airline has initiated are paperless ticketing, ground vehicles adhering to emission standards, usage of recyclable materials on board, regular cleaning of aircraft exteriors to reduce wind drag in flight, etc
The airline’s Energy Management System includes in-depth analysis of energy consumption, setting of annual targets for reduction of usage, detailed energy audits and reporting procedures, awareness programmes among the company’s 6,000 staff on methods of eliminating energy wastage, installation of the most efficient lighting and air-conditioning, installation of power factor correction capacitor banks, adjustment of airconditioning units for optimum energy usage, etc. targeted areas included air conditioning, IT equipment, aircraft ground power units, lighting, and tools and machinery.
John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) and HSBC came together for "Fast Track 15" Internship Programme for the second year, providing an opportunity to 15 locals studying in local and foreign universities to be engaged in a six-week internship programme during their summer break.
The internship programme is packed with opportunities and exposure to facilitator-based learning. This offers undergraduates to understand the career opportunities available in Sri Lanka, according to a JKH media release.
"The programme has a unique quality of offering and hands on experience in nine different industry groups: Leisure, Plantations, Real Estate, Consumer Foods & Retail, Information Technology, Banking, Finance, Transportation and Manufacturing. While motivating and exciting the interns, the programme assists the interns to make an informed career choice," the statement said.
"This programme changed my mind completely. I am now focused on coming back to Sri Lanka after my studies," one student, studying abroad, was quoted as saying.
The objectives of the Internship Programme are to provide a framework to gain experiences through practical work assignments by helping students to relate their academic and educational backgrounds to the workplace,