8-hour movement suspension planned at VIA to operationalize new runway

Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has announced plans for an eight-hour movement suspension at Velana International Airport (VIA) on Wednesday, to operationalize the new runway.

MACL’s General Manager Hassan Areef told Sun on Friday that movement suspension was necessary in order to carry out work required to shift from the old runway to the new one.

In this regard, the movement suspension will be in place from 11:00pm on Wednesday night, to 7:00am on Thursday morning. All domestic and international flights will be halted during this period.

Areef said that airlines operating to VIA have been informed of the movement suspension.

“The first flight will land at 7:00am on October 6. This has been informed to all airlines via a circular,” he had said.

Areef added that VIA will be operational after these eight hours.

Capable of accommodating the biggest aircrafts presently in operation across the globe, the new runway is 3,200 meters in length and 65 meters in width.