Delays in launching helicopter services tied to tweaks to operation: Ameen

According to the Minister of Transport Mohamed Ameen, the delays in launching helicopter services in the Maldives as scheduled is tied to ongoing works on tweaking the operational aspects of it.

The minister also revealed multiple companies have come forward expressing their interest to operate the service in the Maldives.

The government on August 5, 2024 opened the opportunity for interested parties to submit proposals to launch helicopter services for guest transfers. Later on, November 27^th, the minister affirmed helicopter services will launch in March this year.

Despite the project commencement date, the service has yet to launch.

At a press conference on Monday, the minister, while answering to a reporter’s questions regarding the delays, said that the authority had made efforts to launch the service on the scheduled date while an effective party had submitted a request for proposal (RFP) for the project.

The minister said that the numbers projected on the said RFP does not meet the actual cost it would incur in launching the services.

“Since this is an open bidding system, we cannot make abrupt changes based on the numbers reflected on an RFP. I am stating what is cited in law. There is interest for the project, but there are delays since we have changed our approach,” the minister said.

Although he revealed ongoing efforts to tweak the project, Ameen did not specify a launch date.

He further highlighted surveys were conducted with the instructions of UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and stressed the services will utilize the most optimum helicopter brands.

The minister also noted that the services will cater for island-to-island transfers, medical airlifts, and late evening transfers.

Regional Airports Company Limited (RACL) on August 21, 2024 had signed an agreement with Dubai’s Air Chateau DWC and Wing Capital Management to launch helicopter services in the Maldives.

The project included development of 100 hybrid vertiports capable of drone and helicopter landing.