Airport parking zone shut down over security concerns reopens two months later

The parking zone located in front of the new international passenger terminal at the Velana International Airport (VIA), which was shut down in July citing security concerns, has been reopened temporarily following an outpouring of complaints from the hundreds of people who travel to the national airport each day for work and other purposes.

The parking zone, located to the west of the new international passenger terminal, was temporarily shut down on July 17, in preparation for the opening of the new terminal on July 26. The parking zones had remained closed nearly two months since, raising concern from the hundreds of people who travel to the airport daily for work.

An airport worker told Sun last week that the closure of the parking zone forced workers to use ferries and buses to commute to work.

MACL had announced the decision to temporarily reopen the parking zone last week.

In a circular to employees on Thursday, the MACL said it decided to implement certain changes over potential risks of using the area to the west of the new terminal as a parking zone.

But the MACL acknowledged the inconvenience it was causing the airport’s customers, employees, other institutions and companies, and announced that it has therefore decided to create a parking zone in front of the new terminal.

MACL added that it was working to address the parking issues at the airport by installing traffic lights at the link road to improve access to the parking zone in the east of the airport for vehicles coming in from Male’ and Hulhumale’, and increasing the frequency of bus and ferries to the airport.