Colombo, Sept 2024:
SriLankan Airlines with the support of Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) hosted a large group of Buddhist child monks, or ‘Samaneras,’ with a special guided tour of the airport and their first opportunity to board an aircraft. This event coincided with the airline’s 45th anniversary on 1 September 2024, adding to its significance in the airline’s history.
The group, consisting of monks aged five and older from the Ganewatta Purana Rajamaha Viharaya in Waskadubedda, Deldoova, Kalutara was accompanied by several Venerable Theros and volunteers from SriLankan Airlines. During the tour, the young monks were guided through the Bandaranaike International Airport, where officials explained various ground operations. They also had the opportunity to board a SriLankan Airlines’ Airbus A320 parked on the tarmac, giving each young monk their first experience of both the airport environment and boarding an aircraft.
In keeping with religious traditions, the group of Samaneras and Theros were offered a special almsgiving (Dana) and pirikara in the airport’s Silk Route Arrival Lounge. The almsgiving was attended by SriLankan staff volunteers, members of the airline’s senior management team and senior managers from Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka).
