VIA sees busiest day since border reopening

Velana International Airport (VIA) saw its busiest day following the Covid-19 pandemic, on Friday.

VIA’s general manager of Terminal Operations, Ibrahim Hussein, revealed this during an interview on RaajjeTV’s FashaaIru programme on Saturday.

As such, Hussein said that a total of nine flights landed on Friday carrying 428 passengers, while 1,127 people left the country including two flights carrying 323 Bangladeshis nationals.

In regards to domestic operations, Hussein said that 72 people left the capital region on Friday and that a total of four flights were operated to Kulhudhuffushi, Gan and Fuvahmulah. 38 people arrived in the capital.

Further, four private jets landed at VIA on Friday, while 82.7 tonne of supplies were imported and 31.9 tonne, exported.

Hussain noted that the airport set a record on runway movements in a single day since the shutting down of borders following the Covid-19 pandemic, on Friday.

While Maldives’ first Covid-19 cases were recorded on March 7, the country’s borders were shutdown on March 27. Shortly after, on April 15, a lockdown was announced in the capital region. Authorities began lockdown easing on May 29, and borders were allowed to reopen in the third phase of the ease plan on July 15.

Some tourists that arrived in the country since have tested positive for Covid-19, and there are active cases in 15 resort islands currently.