Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has revealed the project to establish a new seaplane terminal at Velana International Airport will commence next month. MACL wishes to expand the seaplane services with the development of the new seaplane terminal. The project to develop a new seaplane terminal along with a new runway is contracted to Beijing Urban Construction Group (BUCG) of China.
Managing Director of Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), Adil Moosa stated with the new terminal, services rendered will see major changes. The terminal is being developed in two phases and noted that the design has been completed and approved by relevant authorities, added the Managing Director Adil Moosa.
Continuing on, Adil Moosa expressed that terminal will come into service within two months after completion, and highlighted that the new seaplane terminal will be completed by the end of next year.
MACL reported that the reclamation of 1.83 hectares of land for the new terminal has been completed. The new seaplane terminal comes as a part of USD1 billion mega project to expand and upgrade Velana International Airport. The expansion comes in line with growing tourist arrivals and increasing bed capacity due to the opening of new resorts in Maldives.
Seaplane is the preferred mode of transport between Velana International Airport and dozens of resorts, especially those located in outer atolls. The 4-storey terminal will have state of the art equipment and facilities, including lounges and restaurants, according to MACL. Maldives operates the largest seaplane hub in the world