Nazim and Harrison hold discussions in relation to airport handover

CEO of GMR Male’ International Airport Andrew Harrison and Minister of Defence Ahmed Nazim, who is also the present Acting Minister of Transport, have held discussions about handing over the airport to Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).

Nazim told Sun Online today that he met with Harrison yesterday, to discuss the issue of MACL taking over the operation of the airport on Saturday. Nazim also met with the staff of MACL yesterday.

“As the Acting Minister of Transport, I met with Andrew and the staff of MACL yesterday. We talked about cooperating in relation to handing over the airport,” Nazim said. He did not give any further details.

Nazim said that as previously decided, MACL will take over the airport on Saturday, and that the final preparations in this regard are currently under way.He also informed that MACL is ready to take over the airport.

The Maldivian government, after it terminated the agreement with airport operator GMR, gave GMR seven days to hand over the airport to MACL, and thirty days to remove their property.

However, GMR said that the government’s notice is not valid and that it will not heed the government’s decision.

GMR took this case to court in Singapore, which was followed by the Singapore High Court issuing an order saying that the Maldivian government should not obstruct GMR’s operations as per the agreement, until the arbitration process is completed.

Consequently, the government responded by saying that there are no obstructions to MACL taking over the airport, and that the airport will be brought under the management of MACL as per the government’s earlier decision. The government has also decided to cancel the work permits and visas of GMR employees at the end of the seven-day notice period given to GMR.