New masterplan for Velana International Airport to be implemented after September: Shareef

The new masterplan for the development of Velana International Airport (VIA) will be implemented after it is received in September, said Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) Managing Director Ibrahim Shareef Mohamed.

Speaking on TVM’s Heyanbo programme, Shareef said the masterplan is aligned with President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s vision for developing VIA and includes several modern features.

“There are many elements that can be integrated into an airport, including free zones, and the new masterplan takes these into account,” Shareef said.

He added that implementation of components of the plan will begin as soon as the document is in hand.

“This will include further development of the domestic terminal. International passengers also use the domestic terminal, so if services are to be provided at the same level, the domestic terminal must be improved.”

“A lot of tourists use the domestic terminal,” he said.

The current masterplan follows an earlier version prepared in 2007 by UK-based company Scott Wilson. That plan, developed for a 25-year period, cost MVR 7 million (USD 545,000). It was subsequently expanded in collaboration with Singapore’s Changi Airport Group.