Ameen: Maldives adopting UK CA guidelines as technical shortages slow helicopter service rollout

Tourism Minister Mohamed Ameen says the government will launch the long-awaited helicopter service under the safety and operational guidelines used in UK Civil Aviation assessments.

Speaking at the Ahaa forum on Sunday evening, Ameen acknowledged that the service has faced repeated delays despite earlier target dates announced by the ministry.

Responding to a question from a member of the public, Ameen said establishing a helicopter network is a “huge task,” especially because it is intended to support medical evacuations from islands without airports or tourism infrastructure. He noted that Maldives has not operated a helicopter service for about 25 years, and the challenge is not limited to finding operators, the country also lacks specialists in civil aviation, safety compliance and security standards.

“We have now decided to launch this service in accordance with the guidelines given in the UK CA assessments,” he said, adding that the rules are designed to prevent health and safety risks that were not addressed previously.

Ameen said work is ongoing with applicants who have expressed interest in operating the service, and the necessary arrangements are expected to be completed within one to two weeks. He described the project as highly technical due to the shortage of experts in the field, but assured that the service will begin soon.