All operations of Regional Airports Company Limited (RACL) has been transferred under the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu announced last year that the RACL will be dissolved, and its operations transferred to MACL as part of broader efforts to reduce State expenditure.
MACL Managing Director Ibrahim Shareef Mohamed said that MACL had taken over operations of nine domestic airports previously under the RACL two weeks ago.
Shareef said that although RACL operations have been transferred under MACL, work is still progressing on dissolving RACL.
“It’s been about two weeks since we did a total take-over,” Shareef said.
Shareef revealed that the domestic airports that MACL has now taken over operations of were in poor condition at the time of hand over. He stated that the condition of firefighting equipment at certain airports is so poor that continued operations are impossible without urgent maintenance and repairs.
MACL is now undertaking efforts to purchase the required equipment for these airports.
Shareef said that the Fuvahmulah Airport had been temporarily shut down due to its fire truck breaking down while these efforts were ongoing.
“No maintenance was done on anything there. We have now started a process of emergency purchase of equipment,” he said.
All ground operations of airports run under RACL were overseen by Island Aviation.
“However, we (MACL) have now taken over ground operations as well of these nine airports. RACL staff matters are also now under MACL,” he said.
