Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), which manages Velana International Airport, has said that they have seen an increase in tourist jet arrivals as the new year approaches.
Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), which manages Velana International Airport, has said that they have seen an increase in tourist jet arrivals as the new year approaches.
Every year, private jet arrivals spike for the Christmas/ New Year season, with over 30 jets parked at the airport even at present, the company said.
An MACL Official told Mihaaru that in December, until the 28th, last year, a total of 137 jet movements had been recorded. This year, the number stands at 148, which is an eight percent increase.
When considering the annual statistics, 2,326 jet movements have been recorded so far this year. The same period last year saw 2,107 jet movements. This marks a 10 percent increase this year, the official said.
As jet arrivals increase during December each year, there are three dedicated areas at Velana International Airport for parking jets, with a total of 68 slots.
MACL further said that there is also a nine percent increase in passengers this year as compared to last year.
While 2.2 million passengers arrived last year, this year the number stands at 2.4 million.
The MACL Official said that with the expected high passenger traffic this month, staff are also working overtime within the set procedures so as to provide uninterrupted services.
They highlighted that it is the dedicated work of the staff that is allowing the airport to properly manage the flow at this time of the year.
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