No airport operations to foreign parties: Ameen

Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen has asserted today that the operation of any airport in Maldives will not be handed over to foreign parties. 

The minister's remarks were made in response to reports on India's The Hindu news outlet, which claimed that the government had appealed to India for assistance in operating the Hanimaadhoo International Airport, which was developed through Indian aid. 

The reports in The Hindu led to severe criticism against the government. Minister Ameen, however, rejected the claims and stated that no airport operations will be handed over to any foreign parties by this government. 

The minister stated that all airports in the country are operated by local operators approved by the Maldives Civil Aviation. He assured that the government's policy does not include operating airports in any other way. 

Reports in The Hindu claim that President Dr Mohamed Muizzu had appealed to the Indian government to operate the Hanimaadhoo International Airport, which was opened in November last year. They said that related research is being undertaken by the Indian Airports Authority (AAI). 

The report cited a senior official of the government and said that President Muizzu had appealed for Indian assistance to operate this airport during the visit of India's Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu to inaugurate the airport. 

India's AAI manages airports operated in 26 Indian States, some of which are operated by GMR, Adani and other companies. Earlier during President Mohamed Nasheed's administration, operation of Velana International Airport (VIA) was contracted to GMR. 

This decision led to strong opposition to the Nasheed administration, and cancellation of the contract with GMR was only brought after paying USD 270 million in compensation. Then opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) led strong action against GMR's operation of VIA at the time. 

The Hindu's report states that ten years after the GMR contract was cancelled, Maldives is once again seeking Indian assistance to operate an airport. 

While the Hanimaadhoo International Airport was being developed through Indian assistance, members of the current administration, who were then in opposition, raised strong allegations against the then President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih-led administration. They claimed that Indian military personnel were stationed there, and that the airport would be handed over to India after development. 

Rumours also arose that the airport was being sold to India's Adani group. However, the then-administration rejected all these claims. 

The re-developed Hanimaadhoo International Airport was inaugurated in November last year. The airport's design reflects Maldives' natural beauty and culture, and is equipped with a modern terminal and a runway that accommodates the largest aircraft. It was one of the largest airport development projects conducted in the Maldives, and was developed through loan aid from India. 

The airport also has space for the parking of 15 jets at a time. 

The airport now has a 2.7km runway and has a terminal that can serve 1.3 million passengers annually. It also has aerobridges, an expansive duty free area, lounges, an air traffic control tower, cargo buildings, a fuel farm and a seaplane jetty. 

USD 126 million (MVR 2 billion) was spent on the project through India's USD 800 million line of credit facility.