The Air Force Commander has given permission to give flight training to President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son and Navy officer Yoshitha Rajapaksa on a Presidential directive.

A senior Air Force officer said it was the first time the Sri Lanka Air Force was training a Navy officer to fly an aircraft.

Yoshitha has now commenced basic training on flying a helicopter.

The President has also ordered Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to give a special military training to Yoshitha and to send him next year to a military academy in Europe to pursue a defence degree.