EasyJet appoints Lahiru Ranasinghe as Sustainability Director

Image courtesy easyJet

An experienced aerospace professional with expertise in airline strategy, network planning and sustainability, Lahiru (above) played a pivotal role in creating the airline’s net zero roadmap, putting his background in aeronautical engineering to use and working with experts across the industry to create the airline’s award-winning decarbonisation strategy.

Lahiru has been in the airline industry for over a decade, holding commercial and strategy roles at British Airways and Virgin Atlantic before joining easyJet in 2019 as a Senior Strategy Manager, before moving into the sustainability function in 2022. Prior to joining the airline industry, he completed a Masters in Aeronautical Engineering and started his career as an engineer working on Airbus commercial aircraft.

Lahiru takes over from Jane Ashton, who joined the airline in 2019 to set up the sustainability team function at easyJet and, among many achievements, leaves the business with easyJet ranking as the number one ESG rated airline in Europe by Sustainalytics, MSCI and CDP. She also oversaw easyJet’s record carbon intensity reductions against the airline’s 2019 net zero baseline.

Lahiru Ranasinghe, easyJet’s Director Sustainability, said: “I am honoured to take on this role and continue on the journey that I started with Jane Ashton. We have made a great start, and easyJet is on track to meet our interim target of 35% reduction in GHG emissions intensity by 2035. Nevertheless we have a challenging and exciting journey ahead and it is a privilege to take on the responsibility of guiding easyJet and the wider industry towards a more sustainable future.”

EasyJet was the first low-cost airline to launch a net zero roadmap and is on track to deliver its SBTi-validated 35% carbon intensity reduction target by 2035. The airline’s ultimate ambition to decarbonise will be driven through a combination of fleet renewal, operational efficiencies, airspace modernisation, Sustainable Aviation Fuels, zero-carbon emissions technology and carbon removals.