VIA lifts 34,573 tonnes of cargo in 6 months

Velana International Airport (VIA) handled 34,573 tonnes of cargo during the first six months of this year.

According to the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), imports accounted for 25,262 tonnes and exports for 2,432 tonnes within the same period.

Transshipment cargo totaled 6,879 tonnes, comprising 5,621 tonnes of air-to-air cargo and 1,258 tonnes of air-to-sea cargo. This represents a 12 percent increase, as reported by MACL.

During the first six months, Afcom facilitated the largest volume of goods, operating 112 freighters. Fly Vaavu was second, with eighteen freighters. MJets and Qatar Cargo also contributed to the cargo transport.

VIA's role in the global cargo connectivity logistics chain is expected to further enhance MACL's contribution to the Maldivian economy. The company is committed to delivering comprehensive, safe, and secure services to customers, adhering to international standards.

The new cargo terminal, inaugurated last year, was developed to support an expanded range of services. The previous terminal had a capacity of 50,000 tonnes, while the new facility can handle 120,000 tonnes.

Earlier, Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed stated that President Dr. Muizzu's vision aims to increase the VIA cargo terminal's capacity to 300,000 tonnes.