Maldives’ main airport renamed ‘Velana International Airport’
Velana is a reference to former President Ibrahim Nasir, the president’s office explained, who oversaw the development of the Maldives’ first international airport as prime minister in 1964.
27 Dec 2016, 9:00 AM
President Abdulla Yameen has decided to change the name of the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport to Velana International Airport with effect on January 1, 2017.
The decision to rebrand the Maldives’ main airport was made following consultations at Monday’s cabinet meeting, “focusing on the transformation of the airport in line with the administration’s economic vision,” the president’s office said.
Yameen unveiled an ambitious plan to develop the airport with US$800 million worth of foreign loans last April with the aim of catering to more than seven million passengers by 2018.
The airport was renamed INIA in July 2011 by former President Mohamed Nasheed in honour of the late President Ibrahim Nasir, who oversaw its development in 1964 as prime minister. Nasir’s successor, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, had also changed the airport’s name in 1980 from Hulhulé Airport to Malé International Airport.
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