Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has decided to withhold some of the expense details incurred to hold the large-scale ceremony held to inaugurate part of the newly developed international terminal in Velana International Airport (VIA).
The inauguration ceremony for the new international terminal was held on July 26th, coinciding with the Maldives’ 60th Independence Day. The event featured a drone show and a record-breaking fireworks display to mark the occasion. Notably, some of drones were damaged during the event, leading to MACL filing a complaint with the Police for investigation.
Notably, the expenses for the ceremony came despite repeated warnings from international financial institutions to reduce state expenditure in light of Maldives’ huge debt burdens.
MACL responded to a Right to Information (RTI) request filed by Sun seeking the details of expenses incurred of the ceremony within a 14-day additional period to the 21-day timeframe stipulated under the RTI Act.
Sun requested the following details with respect to the terminal inauguration: total expense, expense breakdown, whether the expenses were covered from the state budget or company fund, how contractors awarded work-related to the ceremony was paid and expense breakdown of specific works.
From the drone show held to inaugurate the opening of the VIA terminal on July 26, 2025. (Photo/MACL)
MACL, in its response, said some of the information requested by Sun include information pertaining to confidential transactions conducted with third parties. As such, the company declined to disclose expenses incurred in relation to these transactions.
According to MACL, expenses apart from ones that cannot be disclosed totaled at MVR 18.9 million. The company did not provide the details of the expense breakdown despite Sun's request. 
The development of the new terminal, which can accommodate 7.5 million passengers annually, took nine years and cost around MVR 7 billion.
The project was initiated during former president Abdulla Yameen’s administration. Both the last MDP administration and current PNC administration also undertook work on the project.