All airlines operating at Velana International Airport (VIA) have now been successfully transferred to Terminal 1, completing the terminal transition process.

The milestone was marked with a special ceremony held on Wednesday. Speaking at the event, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), Ibrahim Shareef Mohamed, expressed appreciation to airport stakeholders, MACL’s executive committee, and staff for their dedication and teamwork in achieving the transition.

He noted that employees worked under significant pressure in the lead-up to the terminal’s opening, often spending hours away from their families to ensure operations commenced smoothly when the terminal opened on 26 July.

The new passenger terminal was officially opened on Independence Day and has since handled more than 600,000 passengers. MACL said the terminal currently serves 41 airlines operating to and from the Maldives.

The previous terminal, built in 1978, faced long-standing capacity constraints, while the new facility has the capacity to handle up to 7.5 million passengers annually, significantly enhancing airport operations and passenger experience.

Turkish Airlines was the 41st airline to commence operations at VIA’s new passenger terminal, completing the full transfer of airline operations to Terminal 1.