Captain Ratwatte is a pilot with over 30 years of experience in the field whose first appointment was with SriLankan's predecessor, Air Lanka in 1984.

He joined Emirates in 1989, where he held several positions in the Company. With over 18,000 flying hours in a number of different types of aircraft, including the Boeing B-777 and Airbus A380.

Captain Ratwatte is a holder of Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and an author of several published works.

He is a well-known human factors researcher and practitioner, having published a number of articles and essays in the field.

His expertise includes a variety of senior instructional and management roles in airlines, most recently was the Human Factors Manager of Emirates Airlines.