By Prof. Samitha Hettige.

Birth centenary of Dr. Ray Wijewardene (Inventor, Innovator, Engineer, Aviator & Olympian) was celebrated recently. Though Sri Lanka didn’t benefit from the light aircrafts he designed largely due to the 30 year conflict, they were recognized internationally (in addition to the land master tractor). With increased concerns on clean energy & developments in aviation, ‘low altitude’ transportation is gaining momentum in smart cities globally endorsing Ray’s vision.

The ‘low-altitude’ economy which is intertwined with Bei-Dou's communication technology & artificial intelligence (AI) etc. is getting increasingly popular with manned electric vertical take-off & landing (e-VTOL) aircrafts. During the past year nearly 20 companies specializing in ‘low altitude’ aviation has been established in China with customers scattered globally. In China the ‘low altitude’ economy is estimated at approx. USD 70 billion (Ref. CAAC). Due to the increasing demand in; cultural tourism, agriculture, forestry, plant protection & power inspections it is maintaining a steady growth.

What’s in it for Sri Lanka?

‘Singapore Story’ says that LKY recommended ‘culturally’ agricultural Sri Lanka to focus more on efficient airports & internal transportation. If so the airports would attract the ever increasing commercial & cargo aircrafts passing Sri Lanka. ‘Low altitude’ vehicles may connect airports with the rest of the island boosting tourism & other sectors developing the economy in unprecedented ways. By now it’s proven that maintaining a fleet of passenger jets (leased or purchased) isn’t feasible for the financially struggling economy. Economic restructuring is widely being discussed by many including those who criticized President Mahinda for constructing the Hambantota airport. As it is closer to the principal water way & air ways of the Belt & Road Initiative, it won’t be a challenge. However, all international airports including Hambantota must be managed by professionals with private sector involvement & zero trade union obstructions. USA based Boeing's latest market forecast released last week indicates that China's commercial airplane fleet is projected to expand more than 200% over the next two decades with an annual growth rate of approx 4% (Approx 4300 to around 9700 by 2043). China’s wide body aircraft fleet will need 1575 new airplanes accordingly. These predictions indicate the opportunities for Sri Lankan airports in the next two decades. While maintaining a minimum fleet for primary needs, Sri Lanka may maintain few aircrafts such as the recently launched ‘Modern Ark 60’ firefighting airplanes which was independently developed by China. MA60 is a medium sized fixed wing plane tailored to serve aerial firefighting & emergency rescue missions. It’s multi functional with capabilities of; water dropping (6 tonnes), fire monitoring, personnel (28 passengers) & supply (3.7 tonnes) transportation (Ref. AVIC).

If the entire island is to be developed according to a master plan, emergency preparedness & conflict prevention is vital. The workforce should be resilient & wise to identify destructive direction indicators. If so Sri Lanka would progress like the Chinese who invented the ‘Compass’.  (Photo: MA 60 in action & Dr. Ray Wijewardene with one of his creations) (Views expressed are personal).

‘Agriculture is my bread & butter, while aviation is the jam on top of it’ – Ray Wijewardene.