Page 19 - BIMT_Magazine_Final(Interective)
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SOARING NEW


            HEIGHTS IN AVIATION




 Good air transport is  ENHANCES
 a link to attract unusual
 contribution to hit growth   COMPETITIVENESS
 and competitiveness.
 The very fact that the
 aviation industry operates
 as a catalyst with rapid   Q.  HOW DO YOU LOOK AT  compared to the same period in   Getting away from the myopic
 growth indicates that as   SRI LANKA’S AVIATION  2023. Therefore, we expect        view
                INDUSTRY IN 2024?
 a sector it represents an                        a continuous robust growth of the   As Theodore Levitt mentioned
                                                  tourism and aviation industry in
 ever-larger proportion of   The year 2024 was a great   Sri Lanka in 2025.         in the philosophy of marketing,
                year for us as we were able to
 national output. Aviation   regain what we lost due to many                        management must think of itself
                                                                                    not as producing products, but
 has become a necessity   external and internal shocks   Q.  WHAT ARE THE KEY LEADERSHIP   as providing customer-creating
                                                  QUALITIES THAT YOU BELIEVE
 for frequent travel be it for   such as the global pandemic and   ARE ESSENTIAL FOR DRIVING   value satisfaction. I believe in
                the economic crisis. Passenger
 business or leisure. New   and aircraft movements at BIA   INNOVATION IN THE AVIATION   this concept firmly and have
                                                  MARKETING SPACE AND
                                                                                    experienced many issues in many
 companies have outgrown   continued to grow in 2024.  In   CHALLENGES?                                     industries and many organizations
                2018, the airport reached historic
 theirs into wide competitive   heights with 10.88 million                          the central core issue for many
                                                                                    failures has been the myopic
 network carriers, therefore,   passengers and 67,351 aircraft   Among the many factors, I would   view about the business they
 it will be fascinating to   movements. We were able to   like to highlight three major factors   are engaged in. We should be
                handle 7.5 million passengers in
 observe how the immediate   2023 and we were expecting the   that I consider.      able to propagate this ideology
                                                                                    at management discussions in
 and future advancements   passenger numbers to increase                            organizations and raise awareness
                up to around 8.5 million in 2024.
 in aviation are addressed   We were able to record around 8.8   Visionary Thinking, See the   among all the employees through
                                                  Big Picture
                                                                                    training and education on the
 and tackled. Soaring newer   million international passenger   Whether it's aviation or any other   definition our business, which
 heights in the aviation   movements, over 56,000 aircraft   industry the ability to see the   is not product or service-oriented.
                movements, and approximately
 sector which would   195,000 metric tons of cargo   big picture is a critical thing. We   For example, in aviation, an airport
                                                                                    should not be looked at as a place
 enhance competitiveness   operations at Sri Lanka airports   should be able to understand   where aircraft arrive and go.
                in 2024. This marked a growth of
                                                  the true concept of marketing
 was discussed with  18% in international passenger   and business philosophy and   It should be more than that.
                                                                                    We should define our business as
 Dr Sumith De Silva, Head   movements, 20% growth in   develop our mindset attuned to   connecting people to experience
                                                  customer orientation, satisfaction,
 Marketing and Corporate   international aircraft movements,   and delight. Therefore, the leader   a destination for example. At our
                and 22% growth of cargo
 Communications, Airport   movements compared to 2023.  should be able to see the big   company too, we have redefined
                                                                                    our business philosophy in our
 and Aviation Services  In addition, Sri Lanka was   picture of the organization. Where   vision and mission statements.
                                                  do we drive our organization
 (Sri Lanka) (Private)   able to achieve 2 million   is the key factor here. The leader
 Limited.       international tourist arrivals in   needs to identify the vision of the
                2024 demonstrating a significant
                                                  organization and stimulate the
                43.49% increase in tourist arrivals   people to work towards the vision.







 11  From Campus to Corporate Leadership  l  Aug/Sep 2025  l  www.bimt.lk  From Campus to Corporate Leadership  l  Aug/Sep 2025  l  www.bimt.lk  12
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