Emirates expands free in-flight Wi-fi offering
Effective immediately, all Emirates Skywards Platinum and Gold members can enjoy free unlimited Wi-fi during their Emirates flight, regardless of their class of travel.
This privilege also applies to all Emirates Skywards members travelling in First and Business class. In addition, Economy class customers and non-skywards members can now enjoy 20MB of free data usage within the first 2 hours of log in, double the current 10MB free being offered.
Additional data can be purchased in 150MB or 500MB blocks at attractive rates, with tiered discounts for Skywards Silver and Blue members.
“Emirates has made significant investments in our in-flight connectivity. Today, Wi-fi services are available on over 200 of our aircraft, and it is a service that Emirates continues to subsidise heavily. In-flight Wi-fi usage, already popular from the start, has grown tremendously. Our new in-flight Wi-fi plans reflect Emirates’ commitment to continue providing this as a free service for as many customers as possible, especially to our most frequent flyers,” said Adel Al Redha, Emirates Vice President and Chief Operations Officer.
The doubling to 20MB of free data will suit customers who are light Wi-fi users looking to send short messages to their families and friends, or check their social media accounts while flying. Business travellers or more heavy users of in-flight Wi-fi will have the flexibility to purchase additional data packages as needed.
Creating opportunities for dynamic young individuals to achieve their potential, Srilankan Airlines recruited 20 new management trainees, following a oneyear comprehensive training programme.
The management trainee programme was implemented with the intention of absorbing new blood into the organization. It is vital that key positions are filled by newcomers who will not only benefit the organization by preventing inbreeding of ideas but will also grow with the organization to take up future managerial positions.
Srilankan Airlines has taken six management trainee batches in the past and the current intake was inducted in June 2016. The management trainee programme has been in effect from 2000 and many of those who joined the organization as a result of this endeavour have continued to grow with the company.
Chairman of Srilankan Airlines, Ajith Dias stated: “Launching a career is a very big step and we are indeed pleased to welcome the new Management Trainees. The airline is going through a decisive period and we hope that they will play a positive part in supporting all our future ventures. A key feature of the entire training programme is the fact that we have been able to maintain full transparency throughout the entire process, which was unbiased and fully compliant to create the environment of trust and fair appraisal.”
The selection processwas comprised of a number of rigorous procedures in order to ensure that only the best out of potential candidates were selected.
Following responses to press advertisements, the company shortlisted applications of those with degrees with a class or equivalent full professional qualification or outstanding collegiate career with 3 credits for A/LS who have excelled in sports at a national level while belonging to the required age category. From 2,391 applicants, 1,505 were shortlisted and called for a written test.
A total of 20 candidates were officially selected for training after being selected through a multi-stage recruitment process that includedshortlisting sessions, an assessment centre, and interviews with the senior management team and the Board.
Colonel Sunil Peiris, Director Srilankan Airlines and the driving force of 2016 Management Trainee Batch said; “The management trainee programme is something that most of the top organizations in the world have adopted in order to ensure that new blood is infused into the company. By doing so, we hope to prevent inbreeding in the organization, generate fresh ideas and fill in the void left by the retirement of veteran managers.”
The training period lasted for one year, comprising of two stages. The first stage consisted of classroom training which furnished the trainees with in-depth knowledge on the aviation industry which included an IATA examination and Harvard Manage Mentor Certification. The second stage consisted of cross functional training, and the trainees were divided into groups of four, each mentored by a member of the senior management team. A special leadership skills development programme was part of the overall training process through a series of workshop sessions, business simulations and business forums, each of which was aimed at developing the essential soft skills and keen understanding of real business situations that are essential tools in management and leadership. Several proposed training topics were undertaken by third parties such as the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon and the British Council.
Head of Human Resources Pradeepa Kekulawala further affirmed that the programme is essential for the future development of the company. “Our management trainee programme is designed to create and develop leaders. The trainees were given direct, hands on experience from the start, and encouraged to develop and implement new ideas that challenge the norm and drive continued improvement”.