Air Marshal Harsha Abeywickrama, the 13th Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, relinquished command this morning and will retire from the Sri Lanka Air Force with effect from the 28th of February 2014.  On his retirement, he will be promoted to the rank of Air Chief Marshal.

The change of command formalities will be concluded with the formal guest night where the outgoing commander and his lady will be felicitated by the Air Force.

The change of command formalities concluded with a formal guest night where the outgoing commander and his lady was felicitated by designated Commander, the Air Force Board of Management and a cross section of Officers of the SLAF. The evening and the illustrious career of the 13th Commander of the Air Force came to an end when the new Commander presented to the outgoing Commander the Sri Lanka Air Force Flag. Thereafter the Commander and his lady bid adieu to all officers and their ladies present and  as tradition called for was towed out to his car in an F7, an aircraft of the squadron which he commanded in the early 1990s.

Air Marshal HD Abeywickrama was promoted to the rank of Air Chief Marshal on retirement.