A total of 160 new civilian employees officially joined the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) following a ceremony held at SLAF Headquarters yesterday (2), with 25 recruits from the Tamil and Muslim communities included in the latest intake.

Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) attended the ceremony as Chief Guest and presented appointment letters to the new recruits.

Addressing the recruits, the Deputy Minister said their appointment marked an important step towards addressing longstanding staff shortages in the public sector, which had been aggravated by the suspension of government recruitment.

He commended the recruits for successfully completing a selection process based on fairness, transparency and merit, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence.

Major General Jayasekara urged the new employees to uphold discipline, integrity and efficiency throughout their service and adapt to rapid technological developments in the defence sector.

He said the government has prioritised systematically filling vacancies, particularly in the defence sector, under the directives of the President.

The Deputy Minister also stressed the role of the new recruits in building a transparent, efficient and people-oriented public service free from corruption.

Air Force Commander Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe, members of the SLAF Board of Management, the Director of SLAF Civil Administration, and senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and Sri Lanka Air Force attended the ceremony.