Nine airports operated by the Regional Airports Company Limited have been officially handed over to the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).
The Cabinet approved the transfer of the Regional Airports Company to MACL on 1 September last year, as part of the government’s ongoing policy on reducing state expenditure.
Speaking to PSM News, MACL confirmed that nine airports operated by the Regional Airports Company are now under its management. The airports were handed over two weeks ago. The company noted that the airports were in poor condition at the time of transfer, and current efforts are focused on assessing their state, and purchasing materials for the development of the airports.
While MACL has assumed full operational responsibility for the airports, the liquidation of the Regional Airports Company has not yet been finalised.
The government has stated that merging the Regional Airports Company with MACL is expected to reduce costs and further strengthen the overall operation of the airports. Minister of Economic Development, Mohamed Saeed, said the government's economic reforms have been positively received by international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.