“I strongly believe that it takes lot of courage and focus to be in aviation industry, and I have yet to see any industry, which is highly regulated as aviation industry,” ― Yasantha Pathirana, maintenance (operations/engineering) manager and engineer, MAG Engine Systems PVT LTD. in Singapore.
Pathirana is a Part 145 Nominated Maintenance Manager for MAG Engine Systems, an MRO focusing on CFM56 engine component repairs. In this role, he is responsible for ensuring that all work on aircraft components is carried out to the standards specified in the Part 145 regulations, and he is responsible for any corrective action resulting from the quality compliance monitoring. At the same time, he performs the duties of an engineer providing daily technical support to the MRO including new product and capability development.
Since 2015, Pathirana has been working for Singapore-based aviation companies.
“Singapore’s strong aviation market has given me the opportunities to work for world-class aircraft OEMs such as Safran Group and allowed me to live my dream to the fullest,” he said.
Prior to working for MAG, he held engineering and technical positions with Safran Group, focusing on landing gear overhauls for Airbus A330 and Airbus A380 nose landing gear. This was where he had the opportunity to get involved with the first Airbus A380 nose landing gear overhaul program.
In school, he excelled in academics. While receiving a diploma in aerospace engineering (Republic Polytechnic, Singapore), he was awarded a gold medal from Pratt & Whitney for outstanding academic performances. Moreover, he achieved multiple academic awards from 2012 to 2015. He also obtained a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering with first-class honors from the University of Sunderland.
As a child who lived near a military aircraft flight path, he remembers being amazed by the aircraft flying over.
As an adult in the aviation industry, he said, “I hope to give back to the industry by working to my full potential to ensure a safer and promising air travel for the years to come while helping the organizations to meet their goals and help passionate younger individuals to explore and develop within the industry.”
Since 2011, Pathirana has been writing a blog (https://aviamech.blogspot.com/) on basic aircraft systems and their engineering principals. The blog has been accessed by readers from more than 200 countries and been visited by nearly 160,000 unique visitors.
He is an elected member of Singapore Institute of Aerospace Engineers ― SIAE, an organization dedicated to promoting aviation safety and aerospace technology and The Institution of Engineers, Singapore.
Pathirana's nominator for the 40 Under 40 award said, “Yasantha is an accomplished individual who has always been passionate about Aviation Engineering.”
