Background:

Velana International Airport (VIA), which is the main international airport in the Maldives, is located on Hulhule Island in the North Male Atoll, near the capital island Male. It is currently the only airport in the country offering international flights, thus serving as the main gateway into Maldives, which is known for its sapphire waters and pristine beaches. 

In October 2022, Changi Airports International (CAI) won a competitive bid issued by Maldives Airport Company Limited (MACL) to provide consultancy services for VIA. 

Problem:

• Amid the evolving landscape of air travel, especially in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, MACL faced the imperative task of reassessing its traffic forecast and facility requirements.

• There were also ongoing projects and new ones such as the Code F runway, seaplane terminal and upcoming international passenger terminal building which further underscored the need for an integrated master plan. MACL had to ensure that these projects aligned seamlessly with its overarching development objectives and do not deviate from the airport's strategic vision.

• MACL sought to review their existing master plan and airport layout plan to achieve a flexible development plan up to its planned capacity, as well as to provide growth opportunities, address new initiatives and explore options to facilitate the necessary long-term development for VIA.

Solutions:

• A 30-year traffic forecast was done for VIA. Results from the traffic forecast provided the basis for the demand and capacity assessment for the major airport system, which include the airfield (runway, taxiway and parking stands), terminal (domestic, international and sea plane), cargo and landside roadway traffic.

• Computer simulations have been extensively used in this review to assess the capacity of existing airport infrastructure and identify capacity bottlenecks. Enhancement solutions were also proposed to unlock capacity constraints in order to meet the forecasted traffic demand.

• CAI also engaged airport stakeholders extensively to explore different expansion proposals before producing the final airport master plan options.

Results:

• The capacity assessment based on simulations provided insights into the congestion points of the existing and future airport system such as the airfield, terminals and roadway. The findings are quantifiable by the Level of Service (LoS), an industry performance benchmark, before and after the capacity improvement proposals.