Hulhule parking woes: Airport staff bikes towed while at work

Velana International Airport (VIA) has yet to reinstate parking in the Hulhule parking zones, which were closed in preparation for the grand opening of its new terminal prior to Independence Day.

To facilitate the opening of the new VIA terminal on July 26, parking in the designated area in front of the new terminal in Hulhule' was temporarily prohibited starting July 17.

These parking zones were routinely utilized by a significant number of airport personnel and individuals accessing VIA for various purposes.

Several employees of Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), the operator of VIA, have expressed concern regarding the continued closure of these parking zones following the new terminal's ceremonial inauguration.

"Currently, airport staff commute to duty via ferries or buses," an employee stated. "If one arrives by motorcycle, it is necessary to proceed to the designated parking zone located halfway along the highway and then take a bus to the work area."

In a Facebook post addressing the situation, an individual highlighted that if the airport bus is full or missed, airport workers incur taxi fares ranging from MVR 70 to MVR 80.

The individual contended that airport operators should not be subjected to such hardship just to access their workplace.

Another Facebook user noted that those who must commute by ferry from Male' city (due to the absence of airport parking) are compelled to park their motorcycles near the ferry terminal in Henveiru, leading to congestion in the area.

Accompanying a video depicting motorcycles being towed by the Police from the vicinity, the individual reported that airport workers' motorcycles were being impounded while they were on duty.

Subsequently, other individuals employed at VIA have voiced similar concerns on X.

MACL and the Ministry of Transport have not responded to requests for comment.

MACL implemented traffic modifications at the airport in advance of the new terminal's opening. In addition to the aforementioned issue, there have been complaints regarding extended waiting periods in taxi queues at the airport.

I came across this post on Facebook. Now that many rely on ferry to go to work, it resulted in high number of bikes parked at the road by the ferry like it use to be years ago before the bridge opened. I guess it’s like the old days again in Male’ ….. https://t.co/GgWK4cfOqK pic.twitter.com/7kjPVUZXc4

— Mauman (@mauman707) August 8, 2025

When questioned by Sun, MACL stated at the time that such queue surges during peak hours were a consistent observation. However, MACL asserted that this phenomenon was not attributable to the closure of a specific road.

To alleviate this, measures will be implemented, and airport security personnel will be deployed to manage the taxi queue, the company affirmed.

VIA's new terminal is designed to accommodate 7.5 million passengers annually. During the terminal's opening ceremony on July 26, fireworks were simultaneously discharged from 19 locations around the airport, an event that was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.