Parliament Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla has rejected an emergency motion submitted by the opposition regarding the alleged transfer of operations at the VIP terminal of Velana International Airport to a foreign company. The Speaker explained that the motion did not satisfy the procedural requirements for acceptance, particularly the need for verifiable factual evidence to support such motions.

The motion was put forward by Hussain Ziyad, Member of Parliament for Vaikaradhoo and representative of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). It was prompted by reports suggesting that the CIP/VIP terminal might be handed over to an international operator. These reports claimed that the proposed arrangement would grant full operational control of the terminal, including services for private and charter aircraft. However, the Speaker emphasised that the motion lacked the necessary factual foundation to qualify under emergency provisions.

In detailing his decision, Speaker Abdul Raheem cited Article 179 of the Parliamentary Rules, which outlines the prerequisites for tabling emergency motions. He noted that one of the core conditions is that the issue must be based on concrete, verifiable information. Since this criterion had not been fulfilled, the Speaker ruled that the motion could not proceed under Article 179G, which governs the standards for emergency parliamentary discussions.

According to the opposition, a Dubai-based company, Jetex, was allegedly being offered a 25-year contract to manage the terminal. The MDP contended that such a deal could provide unfair benefits to the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) or other Governmental entities. MP Ziyad also warned that the agreement could threaten national security, reduce state revenue, increase foreign currency outflows, and harm domestic businesses.

In response to these claims, Maldives Airports Company Limited issued a formal denial. Speaking to the press, MACL Managing Director Ibrahim Shareef confirmed that while the company had received proposals from foreign firms regarding terminal operations, it was still in an exploratory phase. He stressed that no final decision had been made to transfer control of any terminal to an external party.