Sumangala Dias

Air Chief Marshal Dambure Liyanage Sumangala Dias, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP is a retired Sri Lanka Air Force pilot who served as the Commander of the Air Force from 29 May 2019 to 2 November 2020. He retired from his position as the Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force on 2 November 2020 and was replaced by Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana.

Education Educated at Nalanda College, Colombo, he was presented with Nalanda Keerthi Sri award by his alma mater in 2019.

Air force career Dias joined the Sri Lanka Air Force as part of its 13th Officer Cadet Intake on 13 December 1984. On completing basic and advanced flight training, he was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in the General Duties Pilot Branch on 15 August 1986. After completing a Command and Staff Course in India, he was assigned to the No. 6 Squadron operating out of SLAF Vavuniya.

Having been promoted to the rank of Squadron Leader, Dias was appointed Commanding Officer of the No. 2 Heavy Transport Squadron at SLAF Ratmalana on 21 October 1996, and then CO of the No. 8 Light Transport Squadron based there. After completing a Staff Course at the Indian Defence Services Staff College in 2001, he was promoted to the rank of Wing Commander, and appointed commanding officer of the No. 6 Squadron on 26 June 2002. Dias then saw a rapid rise through the ranks, starting in 2013 when he was appointed Deputy Director of Air Operations, to Deputy Director Logistics on 28 February 2014, to Director Logistics on 1 July 2014 and then to Acting Director of Air Operations on 15 June 2016.

He is currently the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Malaysia after being rejected by the Canadian and Sri Lankan governments. This is believed to be due to allegations of war crimes committed in the past but cannot be confirmed and was not stated as a reason

Personal life Dias is married to Mayuri and has two children Bimsara and Visaka. He is also interested in sport, having held the Chair of SLAF Athletics in 2012, and the Chairmanship of SLAF Cycling.