Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has stated the new passenger terminal which is under development at Velana International Airport (VIA) is expected to be completed by mid-2022.
MACL told PSM News no development project conducted as part of the expansion of VIA has been put on hold, despite the lockdown imposed in the Greater Male' Region due to the COVID-19 pandemic. MACL said all projects are running without interruption, adding the safety guidelines set by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) are being followed at all sites.
The state-owned enterprise said construction of the new passenger terminal is running smoothly and is expected to be completed by mid-2022. In this regard, MACL revealed the foundation of the terminal has been completed, including piling for the main pillars of the structure.
The project was initially contracted to the Bin Laden Group of Saudi Arabia in May 2016. However, the project was put on hold due to different reasons before MACL renewed the contract with Bin Laden Group in June 2019.
The project, which involves the construction of a 78,000 square-metre terminal, costs USD 357 million. MACL said the interior and exterior design of the terminal will incorporate cultural aspects of the Maldives. The new terminal is designed to cater to 7 million passengers per year, up from the current capacity of serving 1.5 million passengers.