Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has welcomed the first tourist arrival of the new year at Velana International Airport (VIA).

The first arrival of the year was a German national, Thomas Andreas Hellweger, who arrived at VIA Terminal 1. MACL marked the occasion with a welcoming reception at the airport.

The end of the year and the beginning of the new year mark one of the busiest peak travel periods for the Maldives, and MACL has prepared for a surge in tourist arrivals. With Turkish Airlines completing its transition to VIA’s new Terminal 1 on Wednesday, the terminal transition process has now been completed.