GMR began work on the new terminal without approval: Minister

Transport Minister Ahmed Shamheed has alleged that Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) operator GMR, India had begun the construction of the new terminal without prior approval of the Civil Aviation Authority, while claiming that a course of action in that regard would be decided this week. DDL International Limited assigned with the construction of the new 55,000 meter terminal during a tour of the site for the media yesterday said that the work had commenced earlier this month.

Transport Minister told Haveeru that GMR had been informed on June 13 that any changes or new projects at the airport must first be sanctioned by the Civil Aviation Authority.

“We informed GMR of that protocol because we had heard that the work on the new terminal had begun. But so far GMR hasn’t even obtained the permit to construct the new terminal. Hence, we will inspect the site and decide on the action to be taken by Sunday or Monday,” Shamheed detailed.

Civil Aviation Authority also stressed that under the Aerodrome rules any new constructions or structural changes must be approved by the Authority beforehand.

However, GMR’s CEO Andrew Harrison refuted the claims by stressing that the new terminal had been included in the approved master plan by both the government and the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).

Henceforth, Harrison detailed that there were no issues to moving forward with the work on the terminal, while adding that it had also been sanctioned by the Housing Ministry.

He stressed that any changes to the airport, not included in the original master plan would duly be informed to the Civil Aviation Authority.

Contrary to Harisson’s claims, the relevant government authority stressed that all necessary approvals and permits must be sought, even if the project had been entailed in the master plan.

Government has also claimed that when the master plan had been approved, MACL had informed GMR that all relevant permits must be acquired before moving forward with the projects.
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