Velana International Airport eyes year of ‘rapid expansion’ as it marks 59th anniversary

Ibrahim Shareef, the CEO and managing director of the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) says the coming year will see a rapid expansion of the services at the Velana International Airport (VIA).

He made the remark during a flag-hoisting ceremony on Saturday morning to mark the airport’s 59^th anniversary.

Addressing the ceremony, which was attended by officials from MACL – which manages the national airport – as well as the company’s stakeholders, Shareef expressed gratitude to the Maldivian administration and President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, personally, for prioritizing the development of the VIA.

This morning, we marked the 59th anniversary of @VelanaAirport with a flag hoisting ceremony, a unity walk, and a cake cutting — celebrating nearly six decades of connection and shared milestones! ✈️ pic.twitter.com/ffBTeBeBsa

— Maldives Airports Company Ltd (@MACLmedia) April 12, 2025

Highlighting on the mega development project underway at the VIA, Shareef said the coming year will see a rapid growth expansion of the airport’s services.

He added that the airport must strive to provide services that keep passengers and stakeholders satisfied.

After the flag-hoisting ceremony, MACL staff continued VIA’s anniversary celebration by cutting a 59-foot cake and taking part in a unity walk.

The company is scheduled to continue celebrations with a gala night and a one-day handball tournament.

Celebrating 59 years of connecting Maldives to the world! pic.twitter.com/hsKrsArOOm

— Maldives Airports Company Ltd (@MACLmedia) April 12, 2025

The VIA, located in Hulhule’, an island near the capital Male’ City, started out as a small strip of land in 1960. On April 12, 1966, then-President Ibrahim Nasir opened a new asphalt runway at the airport – built by the government with help from dozens of volunteers from Male’. The airport celebrates this date as its anniversary.

The airport soon became central to the country’s economy, as it began welcoming its first tourists in the 1970s.

The VIA is currently in the middle of a mega development project, including a new international passenger terminal which can handle up to 7.5 million passengers annually. The project is crucial to the country’s plans to boost its economy.