Virgin Atlantic has joined the sea-to-air cargo services offered by Maldives Ports Limited (MPL). With this connection, Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) announced that the number of airlines partnered to provide sea-to-air cargo services have risen to 12.
The sea-to-air cargo service facilitates the transport of goods to the Maldives by sea, which are then delivered to various global destinations by air. The service is a joint effort between MPL, MACL, Maldives State Shipping (MSS), and international airlines. This new service, inaugurated in May, has already generated USD3 million to the economy.
MACL declared that the cargo services offered from Velana International Airport (VIA) have notably expanded, following the introduction of sea-to-air cargo services. It stated that VIA having a share in the global cargo connectivity logistics chain will further increase MACL's contributions to the economy.
The airlines currently partnered to provide sea-to-air cargo services include:
- Turkish Airlines
- Qatar Airways
- Emirates Airlines
- Etihad Airlines
- Aeroflot
- Neos
- Gulf Air
- Discover Airlines
- Austrian Airlines
- Condo
- British Airways
- Virgin Atlantic
MACL has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to ensure the provision of exceptional services to customers, such that it meets the international standards. It revealed that the new cargo terminal opened this year is developed to provide a variety of such services.