Air Marshal Sumangala Dias was sworn in, in the presence of President Maithripala Sirisena as the 17 Airforce Commander, today.
He served as the Chief of Staff of the Airforce previously and is a past pupil of Nalanda Vidyalaya, Colombo.
Air Marshal Sumangala Dias joined the Airforce 13 December 1984 as a Cadet Officer and was injured during an operation in Silawathura in the year 1990 in an attack by the LTTE.
Air Marshal Kapila Jayampathi who served as the Airforce Commander previously due to retire today and he was promoted to the post of Air Chief Marshal by the President.