MCAS and EightD Sign Landmark MoU to Transform Aviation and Logistics Education in Sri Lanka

Officials from MCAS &  Eight D who were present at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding were: Ms. Razeeqa Arafath - Senior Learning Experience Coordinator – MCAS, Ms. Chathuni Gunasekera - Operations Lead – MCAS, Mr. Alagan Kanagaratnam - Non-Executive Director – MCAS, Mr. Abdullah Al-Selhi - CEO/Founder – MCAS, Mr. Chinthaka Ranadeera - head of operations – EightD, Mr. Sohaib Abdulla - general manager finance – EightD, Mr. Tharaka Premaratne - manager learning and development – EightD) (Photo credits Abdul Azeez)

Abdullah-Al-Selhi: Ceo, Founder – MCAs & Chinthaka Ranadeera, Head of Operations – Eight D

Signing of the MOU between MCAS & EightD

By Aakil Riyaz

Millennium College of Aviation Studies (Pvt) Ltd. (MCAS), an aviation-focused higher education and training institution, and EightD (Pvt) Ltd by Fits Cargo, a recognised operator in Sri Lanka’s aviation and air cargo industry, have formalised a strategic partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in April, 2026. 

This collaboration marks a defining moment in Sri Lanka’s aviation education landscape, bringing together academic expertise and industry experience to address a growing need for skilled professionals in the cargo and logistics sector.

The MoU outlines a broad framework for collaboration spanning three key areas: training and development, student internship opportunities, and industry-led programme development. Cumulatively, these 3 pillars are designed to strengthen aviation education and enhance workforce readiness across the country.

Complementing the MoU, both institutions have also executed a formal agreement to launch a Diploma in Cargo and Logistics: a programme that will carry the industry endorsement of EightD. The curriculum with regard to the Diploma will be developed in direct consultation with the industry partner, guided by a structured Training Needs Analysis (TNA), job shadowing, and role-based curriculum design to ensure it reflects the realities of day-to-day operations in the field.

What distinguishes this diploma from conventional academic offerings is its foundational philosophy: it is built with the industry, for the industry. Rather than adapting existing academic content to a professional context, the programme embeds real operational insights from the ground up, thereby ensuring that every module, learning outcome, and assessment reflects genuine workplace requirements.

This approach represents a meaningful shift away from traditional classroom-based learning. Graduates will emerge with practical exposure and relevant competencies that make them immediately productive in the workplace, while directly addressing the increasing demand for trained professionals in aviation cargo and logistics management.

Moreover, the programme is also designed to remain relevant with evolving industry trends, including digitalisation, logistics optimisation, and the integration of emerging technologies. This forward-looking dimension ensures that graduates are not only prepared for today’s roles but also equipped to adapt to the demands of tomorrow’s aviation ecosystem.

The MCAS and EightD partnership is being recognised as a first-of-its-kind academic–industry collaboration in Sri Lanka’s aviation sector. By establishing a structured model for co-creating educational content with an active industry operator, the initiative sets a new benchmark for how professional qualifications in the sector can and should be developed.

For students, the benefit is tangible: a qualification that carries the credibility of industry recognition and the practical grounding that employers value most. For employers, it means access to a pipeline of graduates who arrive workplace-ready, reducing onboarding time and training costs. For the broader sector, it signals a maturation in how Sri Lanka approaches aviation education, moving toward collaborative, outcome-driven models that serve both learners and the industry with equal intent.

This partnership showcases MCAS’s commitment to delivering future-focused, industry-driven learning experiences, along with EightD’s recognition that investing in education is, ultimately, an investment in the future of the industry itself.

The Diploma in Cargo and Logistics, developed through this partnership, is poised to become a defining qualification for aspiring professionals in Sri Lanka’s aviation and logistics sector and a model worth watching for the region as a whole.