New Velana Airport Terminal Delayed Again, Opening Now Set for October

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced that the new terminal at Velana International Airport will be officially opened before October this year.

This marks the third revised opening date for the terminal since the President assumed office. Initially, Muizzu had stated that the terminal would open in September last year. However, by July this year, it was confirmed that the terminal would not be ready by that time.

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The airport operator, Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), had not mentioned the delay when reporting to the State Owned Enterprises (SOE) Committee of Parliament in November. 

The delay has been attributed to a request from the Airline Operators Committee (AOC), which represents the airlines operating in the Maldives. AOC requested that part of the terminal not be opened in 2025, despite some sections of the construction being completed.

The new terminal at Velana International Airport is a key infrastructure project, expected to handle more than seven million passengers annually. Its completion is critical to the country’s ongoing economic growth.

Meanwhile, a group of members from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) staged a protest at the start of Muizzu’s speech, holding signs with various slogans. They expressed their views vocally in the hall. Speaker of Parliament, Abdul Raheem Abdulla named the protesting members and ordered their removal from the floor. The session resumed after the MDP members were dismissed.