Maldives’ first air traffic controller passes away

Mohamed Naeem Hussain, the first air traffic controller of the Maldives, has passed away.

Naeem passed away on Sunday in Male' at the age of 74. His funeral was held yesterday at the Hulhumale' Cemetery.

Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), which operates Velana International Airport, said in a statement shared on social media that it was deeply saddened by Naeem’s passing.

“His death leaves an irreplaceable void in the aviation industry of the Maldives. His invaluable contributions to the development of civil aviation will always be remembered with respect and gratitude,” MACL said.

Naeem began his career at Hulhule' Airport in 1967. After completing air traffic control (ATC) training in Sri Lanka, he officially became the country’s first air traffic controller on April 7, 1973, marking the beginning of ATC services at Hulhule' Airport.

During the early years of the ATC service, Naeem worked alongside Hussain Mohamed, who was also part of the initial team.

Naeem later received further professional training at the Civil Aviation Training Centre in Thailand, and also underwent aeronautical search and rescue training in Australia.