Saturday
20th Apr 2024
Dhivehi Edition
Ceremony held to open the seaplane terminal. Photo: TMJ
Velana International Airport (VIA) opens its new seaplane terminal.
The new seaplane terminal by the name of “Noovilu Seaplane Terminal” was inaugurated this morning during a special ceremony attended by the Vice President of the Maldives, Faisal Naseem, Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL)’s Chairman, MU Hassan Manik and Chinese Ambassador to the Maldives, Wang Lixin.
Additionally, the Tourism Minister, Abdulla Mausoom and the Defense Minister Madam Mariya Ahmed Didi had also attended the inaugural ceremony this morning.
The seaplane terminal was a part of the major VIA development project commenced during the previous administration under President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Qayyoom’s initiative.
The government has been giving timelines and setting dates to open the terminal since last June.
VIA seaplane terminal was a USD 55 million project with an expansion of 28,000 square meters. Moreover, the MRO facility at the terminal takes up 8,836 square meters and the VIP section covers 100 square meters.
The seaplane terminal consists of 42 lounges, where 40 of the lounges have been rented out to resorts. MACL’s “Vilu Business Lounge” has 235 seats and their “Neeru Lounge” has 315 seats.
In addition to the new seaplane terminal, today, VIA officially opened and has started using its new runway as well. To mark its operations, the runways welcomed its first flight, an Emirates flight from Dubai.
Both of these were spinoffs of the VIA development project spearheaded by the Yameen administration. The VIA development project, a project worth USD 800 million (MVR 12.3 million), will give the airport a new VIP terminal in addition to a new passenger terminal and fuel farm.
VIA seaplane terminal was a USD 55 million project with an expansion of 28,000 square meters. Moreover, the MRO facility at the terminal takes up 8,836 square meters and the VIP section covers 100 square meters.
The seaplane terminal consists of 42 lounges, where 40 of the lounges have been rented out to resorts. MACL’s “Vilu Business Lounge” has 235 seats and their “Neeru Lounge” has 315 seats.
In addition to the new seaplane terminal, today, VIA officially opened and has started using its new runway as well. To mark its operations, the runways welcomed its first flight, an Emirates flight from Dubai.
Both of these were spinoffs of the VIA development project spearheaded by the Yameen administration. The VIA development project, a project worth USD 800 million (MVR 12.3 million), will give the airport a new VIP terminal in addition to a new passenger terminal and fuel farm.