Villa Group Chairman and Member of Parliament for Maamigili Constituency, Qasim Ibrahim, has stated that he is prepared to hand over Kaadedhdhoo Airport to the Government, provided that an agreement can be reached on reasonable terms.

Kaadedhdhoo Airport, one of the oldest regional airports in the Maldives, was originally leased to Villa Air for 50 years in 2013 under the administration of former President Abdulla Yameen; however, the Government revoked the agreement in 2017, a decision later overturned by the Supreme Court in 2021. Following the ruling, Villa Air resumed operations at the airport.

For several years, residents of the atoll have raised concerns over the deteriorating condition of the airport. The matter is currently under review by the Parliament’s Economic Affairs Committee, where Qasim spoke on Tuesday, outlining the challenges faced in developing the facility.

He explained that, like most regional airports in the Maldives, Kaadedhdhoo Airport operates at a financial loss. When the airport was handed back to Villa Air in 2021, it was in a state of disrepair, and the company had to invest heavily in repairs. The company has also had to replace generators twice.

Villa Air remains interested in developing Kaadedhdhoo Airport, but Qasim cited financial constraints as a major obstacle, highlighting the difficulty of securing foreign loans due to economic conditions and Maldives’ credit rating.

Despite these challenges, Qasim noted that President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has also requested the upgrade of Kaadedhdhoo Airport to an international airport.

While Villa Air remains open to further development, Qasim stated that the company is also willing to handover the airport, provided the Government offers a financially fair agreement. He emphasised that there is no dispute over the matter and that Villa Air would transfer control if a mutually acceptable solution were reached.