Velana International Airport (VIA), the main airport in the Maldives, has set a new record for flight movements, with 925 movements recorded in a single day on 6 January 2024. This milestone, revealed by the Maldives Airports Company Ltd. (MACL), the operator of VIA, marks the highest number of flight movements ever recorded in the airport’s history.
VIA celebrated this new record on social media: “Cheers to the happy travellers, setting the bar higher than ever!” This achievement surpasses the previous record of 861 flight movements in a single day.
The record-breaking day was made possible through the contribution and support of domestic and international airlines and seaplane operators, according to MACL. Of the 925 flight movements recorded on 6 January, 672 were seaplane movements, 104 were international flights, 116 were domestic operations, and there were 33 ad-hoc movements, primarily private jets.
“This achievement is a testament to the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders involved,” stated Ibrahim Thoha, Deputy Managing Director of MACL, adding that MACL extends “sincere thanks to the airlines and operators for their exceptional support in making this record-breaking day possible.”
According to MACL, this remarkable achievement solidifies VIA’s position as a critical player in the aviation industry. The expanding operations and services at VIA, including strategic changes implemented to accommodate the winter peak season, have contributed to this success, MACL said in a statement.
As the winter peak season sees a surge in tourist arrivals in the Maldives, statistics released by the Ministry of Tourism show that 50,983 tourists have arrived so far this year as of 9 January. With a daily average of 5,665 arrivals, this represents 6.4 percent growth compared to the same period in 2023. Last year, the Maldives recorded a total of 1,878,543 tourist arrivals.
