The Untold Story of Sri Lanka's Private Aviation Pioneers

Wings of Empire and Industry: The Untold Story of Sri Lanka's Private Aviation Pioneers 

Long before modern business jets dotted South Asian skies, Sri Lankan aviators broke intercontinental flight records and reshaped regional air transit. The island nation’s private aviation history dates back to the twilight of British rule in Ceylon, marked by audacious long-distance journeys, corporate fleet expansion, and one of aviation's most enduring maritime mysteries. 

The Epic 1946 Journey of J.P. Obeyesekere 

In November 1946—over a year before Ceylon gained independence—a young pilot named James Peter Obeyesekere III accomplished a monumental aviation milestone. Departing from Cambridge, England, Obeyesekere piloted a single-engine Auster J/1 Autocrat on an extraordinary flight home to Ratmalana Airport near Colombo. Navigating across continents without modern GPS, satellite communications, or sophisticated avionics, he completed 31 intermediate refuelling stops across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. 

Logging approximately 103 hours and 30 minutes of total flying time before touchdown on November 13, 1946, Obeyesekere’s journey demonstrated the viable potential of private aircraft ownership in South Asia. His historic Auster J/1 Autocrat (registered VP-CAO) became an iconic piece of Sri Lanka aviation history and was later donated to the Colombo Flying Club to train future aviators. 

Upali Wijewardene and the Rise of Upali Air 

Decades later, Sri Lankan private aviation entered a glamorous new era under industrialist Philip Upali Wijewardene. As the founder of the multi-industry Upali Group, Wijewardene expanded his commercial enterprise into domestic air travel by founding Upali Air in the late 1970s. Operating reliable De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter turboprops, Upali Air established essential regional connectivity, shuttling passengers between Ratmalana, Jaffna, and domestic airstrips across the island. 

Beyond commercial domestic flights, Wijewardene embraced executive business travel, acquiring a personal Learjet 35A—a hallmark of modern corporate aviation luxury. However, this chapter ended in tragedy. On February 13, 1983, Wijewardene’s Learjet 35A departed Subang International Airport in Kuala Lumpur, bound for Colombo with six people on board. Operating at 27,000 feet over the Straits of Malacca, radio contact abruptly ceased. Despite an extensive multinational search operation spanning seven countries, no definitive wreckage was ever recovered, turning the disappearance into one of Asia's most famous unresolved aviation mysteries. 

From brave post-war solo journeys to high-flying corporate fleets, Sri Lanka's rich aviation heritage proves that private aircraft ownership and pioneering spirit have been woven into the nation's narrative for nearly a century.