Maldives Airports Company Ltd. (MACL) has officially launched a countdown to the opening of the new terminal at Velana International Airport (VIA), scheduled for 26 July – coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the country’s independence.
The countdown was launched by MACL Managing Director Ibrahim Shareef at a special ceremony held at the airport on Saturday night. In his remarks, Shareef praised the dedication of MACL staff and expressed confidence in their ability to complete final preparations within the remaining 35 days.
“We’ve seen our team lay pipelines from the beach to the terminal, commission them, and ensure they are fully operational – all in record time,” Shareef said. “From the outside, many may think this is impossible. But our people believe in making the impossible possible.”
Shareef urged employees to draw inspiration from the hard work of previous generations, noting that achieving such results in a short period would be especially rewarding. He stressed that the management team, including both deputy managing directors and executive committee members, were fully committed to the effort.
MACL stated that the new terminal will significantly increase passenger capacity, with the government projecting the facility will be able to serve 7.5 million passengers annually. Once opened, the new terminal will fully replace the existing terminal within three months.
To complete the finishing works, MACL secured $100 million in funding from the Saudi Fund and another $80 million from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD). With this, the total cost of the project has exceeded $450 million.