Managing Director of Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) Adil Moosa has stated that the developments of the airports would not be possible if the government followed the master plan of the Indian-based GMR Group.
Answering questions posed on a TV progamme, aired on PSM News, the Managing Director of MACL, asserted that the master plan of the Indian-based GMR Group was not compiled pertaining to the development of Velana International Airport. He said that even though developments were brought to the airport in the past 50 years, it is not agreeable that sufficient developments were brought.
Highlighting the development plans of the previous governments, he said that practical work was done by the administration of President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom. He confirmed that the ambitious USD 1 billion airport expansion project of the government will bring positive changes to the services and solutions to many problems.
Talking about the master plan of GMR Group, Adil Moosa said that the project was not designed in regard to sustainable development. He reiterated that the plan will result in huge losses to the government which will be hard to recover. He said that GMR had no plans to build a runway or develop the airport; rather its main focus was to conduct business at the airport.
The Managing Director agreed that it is a hard to operate an airport 24 hours without interruption but assured that MACL will continue working for the enhancement of the services.
The airport is a key infrastructure for the Maldives multi-billion dollar tourism industry. The government expects to boost tourist arrivals to the country as it aims to attract at least 1.5 million tourists before the end of this year.