Ten immigration e-gates open at Velana International Airport

Immigration authorities have begun operating 10 electronic gates at Velana International Airport (VIA) specially for Maldivians to speed up immigration clearance during the peak travel season.

The e-gates were inaugurated on Wednesday by the Controller General of Immigration, CP (Retd) Ahmed Faseeh, at a ceremony held at the airport.

The new terminal will eventually be equipped with 20 e-gates, with 10 each for arrivals and departures, aimed at reducing queue times.

The terminal already features 20 departure immigration counters and one arrival immigration counter.

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has previously said the government plans to introduce e-gate services at other airports across the Maldives.

The new terminal currently serves more than 40 airlines, including major carriers such as Emirates and Qatar Airways.

The introduction of e-gates is part of broader efforts to ease congestion at VIA, which has been experiencing heavy passenger traffic during the peak tourist season.