Govt opens helicopter service opportunity, including guest transfers

The Maldives government has opened up the opportunity for interested parties to operate helicopter services, including guest transfers, in the Maldives.

The announcement, put in the state gazette by the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, sought interested parties to submit expression of interest (EoI) to provide helicopter services in the Maldives, inclusive of emergency and guest transfers.

The nationwide helicopter service will enhance patient transfers, search and rescue operations and increased connectivity in the tourism industry, Transport Ministry added in the announcement.

Transport Ministry promises a 10-year exclusive contract of transferring guests in the Maldives to the successful proponent.

According to the announcement, proposal submission will begin once interested proponents submit their EOIs. The proposals must be in line with the strategic objectives and action plan of the ministry, the announcement added.

Proponents can submit EOIs either to the ministry's office at Umar Zahir Office Building in Hulhumale' or send it via email before 14:00hrs on August 19th.

Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen earlier said that should the government launch helicopter operations, it would include guest transfers.

Although seaplanes cease flights by dusk, many guests preferred domestic aviation options during the night, for which helicopter services would be ideal, Ameen added.

Two helicopters gifted by the Indian government have been airlifting patients across the Maldives. while more recently Maldivian launched its Air Ambulance services for the same cause as well.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's administration came to power with the promise of deporting Indian soldiers from Maldives, including those who operated these helicopters. The Maldives government announced in May that Indian civil replacements have been brought in to operate the vessels.

While the government is seeking interested parties to launch helicopters services, commercial helicopter services were previously available in the Maldives during the 1990s, operated by Maldivian Air Taxi Pvt Ltd and Hummingbird Helicopters Pvt Ltd.

However, after a string of helicopter crashes in the late 1990s, two within the same year that included the crash of an MIL helicopter near Rangali in January 1999, claiming the lives of four, and another crash, a Bell 212 helicopter, in December of the same year that claimed the lives of all 10 onboard, the Maldives government effectively ended helicopter operations in the country.