Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has successfully conducted a real-time aircraft turnaround simulation exercise ahead of the grand opening of the new international passenger terminal at the Velana International Airport (VIA).
During this simulation, MACL said the Advanced Visual Docking Guidance System (A-VDGS) along with the Passenger Boarding Bridges (PBB) using Maldivian Airlines’ wide-body A330 and narrow-body A320 aircraft were tested.
The passenger boarding bridges at VIA’s new terminal are being introduced for the first time in a Maldivian airport.
The trial was inaugurated by MACL CEO and Managing Director Ibrahim Shareef Mohamed with the company's Deputy Managing Directors Mohamed Lamaan and Mujthaba Latheef in attendance.
Speaking after the trial, Deputy Managing Director Mujthaba hailed this trial - the first time passenger boarding bridges were used in the Maldives, as a significant milestone for MACL and the entire nation.
According to MACL, the use of a dozen passenger boarding bridges at the new terminal will significantly cut down the 28 to 35 minutes the airport currently clocks to clear passengers from an aircraft to just eight minutes.
The new A-VDG system will further ensure the safety of staff and aircrafts especially during low visibility and bad weather, MACL said.
The terminal, scheduled to open in conjunction with Independence Day celebrations, is envisioned as a modern, high-capacity hub. Staff training and operational preparedness continue apace, forming central pillars of MACL’s final-phase rollout.
The new facility will span 78,000 square metres and is designed to handle up to seven million passengers each year, representing a substantial increase from the current terminal's annual capacity of 1.5 million. The terminal will have 47 check-in counters designed with locally inspired designs, six self-service kiosks and 24 counters dedicated for seaplane passengers.