Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) Managing Director, Ibrahim Shareef Mohamed has heaped praise on President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s determination to make his vision for the new international passenger terminal of Velana International Airport (VIA) a reality.
Speaking during the grand ceremony to officially inaugurate the landmark project on Saturday evening, Ibrahim Shareef said when he took over the helm of MACL in 2023, the new terminal had been nothing more than a shell.
Attaching a numerical value to the monumental task that the new government had faced, he explained that only 30 percent of the new passenger terminal project was completed in around nine years, forcing President Dr Muizzu to fasttrack the remaining 70 percent in just 18 months.
"There was no electricity nor an electricity grid. There was no sewerage system. MACL staff had built the 12 Mega Watt electricity grid by hand. It was extremely difficult to secure foreign funding. But a very capable leader took upon himself to take on these challenges and guide us to victory,” he explained.
Ibrahim Shareef said that President Dr Muizzu had the skillset and the quiet determination actualised to bring home the vision he saw when he was a minister, around a decade ago.
"This architectural wonder of this small island nation had been stuck in limbo for 10 years. But this capable leader and visionary has changed the whole scene in just 18 months. He had the determination to make his vision for this airport a reality. He had made it his mission to accelerate the completion of this terminal and unlock the economic potential it holds for the benefit of the country and its people,” he explained.
Shareef also commended the tireless efforts of the company's staff to complete the new passenger terminal ahead of schedule.
Designed to accommodate seven million passengers annually, the facility is expected to broaden airline partnerships and support expanded flight frequencies. Government officials project the upgraded terminal will reinforce the Maldives' tourism sector and elevate the country's standing as a regional hub for international travel.