Dhaka: The new terminal at Velana International Airport (VIA) was officially opened on Saturday evening at a ceremony officiated by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu.

The terminal was inaugurated nine years after the commencement of construction. According to government officials, the project is the largest infrastructure development undertaken in the Maldives to date.

The national airline, Maldivian, will begin operating from the new terminal, with additional airlines set to transfer operations in a phased manner.

The first phase, scheduled for July and August, will see the relocation of operations for several smaller airlines. This phase will account for approximately one-third of the flights and 12 percent of passenger departures from the airport.

The construction of the new terminal was awarded to the Saudi Binladin Group in May 2016. The company subcontracted part of the work to China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC).

The initial project estimate was USD 350 million (MVR 5.3 billion), which has since increased to USD 457 million (MVR 7 billion).

The new terminal is designed to serve 7.5 million passengers annually. It includes 40 departure gates and 38 immigration counters. Aero bridges are being installed to facilitate passenger boarding and disembarkation.

-B