Srilanka, July 10 -- Many cricket fans still cherish the iconic photograph taken from the cockpit of the Air Lanka L-1011 aircraft that brought home the victorious Sri Lankan cricket team after their 1996 World Cup triumph in Pakistan.

In that historic image, Senior Pilot Captain Sunil Wettamuni is seen on the left, while the then First Officer Suraj Weerasekara, who would later rise to the rank of captain, is on the right.

Tragically, Captain Suraj Weerasekara, a respected aviator who served the Sri Lankan aviation industry with distinction, passed away on July 8 at the age of 55.

An alumnus of Nalanda College, Colombo, Captain Suraj began his aviation career as a First Officer at Air Lanka. Over the years, he served as a captain wit...