Maldives Airports Company Ltd (MACL) is celebrating Maldives' main international airport, Velana International Airport's (VIA) 56th anniversary.
On Tuesday morning, a flag hoisting ceremony was held at 0600 hours at VIA to mark the occasion. The ceremony was graced by the Deputy Managing Director (DMD) of MACL Ibrahim Thoha. The senior management team of MACL also attended the ceremony.
Speaking at the ceremony, Thoha congratulated the employees on the occasion and commended the staff on their hard work and dedication during the COVID-19 pandemic.
'I am very proud of each and every one of you who made this airport a success during the difficult times, making this airport one of the safest airports in the world,' Thoha said.
Speaking about the infrastructural development of the Airport, Thoha said MACL had plans to start the operation of the world's biggest Seaplane Terminal in the second quarter of the year, and the new runway in
the third quarter, along with the new Fire station. While the first phase of the modern VIP building is now open, the construction work of the second phase is underway, he said.
Thoha also spoke on the temporary use of the new runway, which helped the company achieve operational efficiency. He added that MACL was working on starting the operation of the new Cargo Terminal and new Fuel Farm in 2022.
In addition to infrastructure development, Thoha said Human Resource improvements are also being brought. This includes establishing new studying schemes and increasing staff salaries.
'All these developments will dramatically improve the standard of services offered to our customers, and I am excited for our airline partners and stakeholders for the world-class services they will soon receive,' he said.
Velana International Airport was opened by former President of the Maldives Ibrahim Nasir on April 12, 1966.
