The new international terminal at Velana International Airport (VIA) has successfully transitioned operations for all major airlines, serving more than half a million passengers since its opening.
According to the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), a total of 508,008 passengers used the new facility as of the 15th of this month. This figure includes 252,340 departing passengers and 255,668 arriving passengers. MACL also confirmed that 38 different airlines have now moved their operations to the new terminal.
The journey to complete this terminal spanned nine years, having originally started on May 22, 2016. The project was initially awarded to the Saudi Binl Ladin Group for $350 million with an expected completion date in 2019. However, by the end of 2018, only the foundation piling work was finished. The project was later redesigned and resumed in 2019, with the final cost totaling approximately $438 million.
The new terminal is a massive facility covering 72,000 square meters. Once fully operational at maximum capacity, it will be able to handle 7.2 million tourists annually. One of the most significant upgrades is the installation of 12 aerobridges, allowing travelers to board planes directly from the building.
In addition to the boarding bridges, the terminal features the Maldives' first automated baggage handling system. This high-tech system is capable of automatically sorting luggage based on passenger class and specific flight destinations, greatly increasing the efficiency of airport operations.
