A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
President Yameen, with government officials at the inauguration of the new domestic airport, ‘Dhaalu Airport’, in Kudahuvadhoo, Dhaalu Atoll. PHOTO / PRESIDENT’S OFFICE President Abdulla Yameen has officially inaugurated the ‘Dhaalu Airport’ in Kudahuvadhoo, Dhaalu atoll on Wednesday. The new airport is the biggest domestic airport in the Maldives. The national carrier of the Maldives, […]
Qatar Airways has started their operations to and from Maldives with one of the world’s most modern aircraft; the Airbus A350. Flight QR 674 departed from Hamad International Airport (Doha) at approximately 8:24 am on the 31st of October 2107 (Tuesday) and landed at Velana International Airport, Maldives at 15:09 pm. The total flying time […]
The Kulhudhuffushi council expects about 2,500 trees and plants to be felled or removed from the island’s mangrove forest for the construction of an airport. With dredging and land reclamation expected to begin in early November, the wetland area in the island’s northern end is now under the authority of the Regional Airports department of […]
Passengers about to board a Flyme aircraft at Kaadehdhoo Airport. PHOTO/VILLA AIR The Regional Airports authority of the Maldives on Sunday revealed that development of the Kaadedhoo airport in the southern Gaafu Dhaal atoll will be costly, as major construction works at the airport are yet to commence. The director general of Regional Airports, which […]
earlier this year when the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) instituted a ban on in-cabin electronics from 10 Middle Eastern and African airports, the United Kingdom quickly established a similar policy, banning laptops, tablets and e-readers from the cabins of aircraft flying from six countries to the UK. While the US agencies […]
Awaiting the arrival of the peak tourist season of the country, Velana International airport, the main airport of Maldives has unveiled three new departure gates plus expansion to the baggage carousels. These new facilities were unveiled at a special ceremony held at the airport on Wednesday, 25 October. The newly developed facilities were inaugurated by […]
The Environmental Impact Assessment report for developing an airport on Kulhudhufushi after reclaiming the northern island’s mangrove has yet to be submitted, sources from the Environment Protection Agency has confirmed. The government’s plans to begin dredging the environmentally sensitive wetland area sparked an outcry from islanders and environmentalists. Ibrahim Naeem, the EPA’s director general, hung up the […]
Hong Kong Airlines in the first quarter of 2018 plans to resume service to The Maldives, with the scheduling of Hong Kong – Male route, on board Airbus A330-300 aircraft. Service is scheduled 3 times a week, effective 16JAN18. HX791 HKG1750 – 2205MLE 333 247 HX792 MLE0005 – 0855HKG 333 135 Reservation is expected to open […]
The government has terminated contracts signed with Malaysia’s Gryphon Energy Corporation in March to build five domestic airports at a cost of US$57.5 million. Sami Ageel, director of the Regional Airports agency, confirmed to state media Tuesday that the deals were scrapped on September 18 because the Malaysian company – which describes itself as “incorporated with a vision to be […]