Upali Air - History

History

Upali Air was founded at the end of the 1960s by Sri Lankan entrepreneur Upali Wijewardene. This businessman was well known for his skill in buying companies in the brink of bankruptcy and making them successful. The toffees produced by his confectionery factory are still famous throughout Sri Lanka.

Upali Air began operating with a single 20-seat De Havilland Twin Otter airplane. Later other small airplanes were added to its fleet.

This company ceased to exist not long after Upali Wijewardene's untimely death in an air crash in February 1983, when he was only 45 years old. The Learjet 35A in which Wijewardene crashed was also a registered aircraft of the airline. Although other companies of the Upali group continued operating after the founder's death, the beginning of the Sri Lankan Civil War between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government spelled doom for this small airline. The increased controls and security measures, along with the conversion of certain civilian airfields, like Ratmalana Airport, into military bases for the Sri Lankan Air Force, made Upali Air’s operation no longer viable.

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