Govt plans helicopter service revamp to include tourists

Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen has said that the helicopter service will be relaunched so that tourists can also use the service to reach their destinations whenever required.

The Minister said this while speaking at a press conference held on Wednesday to update the public on ministry works.

The Minister said that there was a need for additional modes of air transport once the new departure terminal at Velana International Airport is completed and operations will start at full capacity. The minister noted that the number of tourists coming to Maldives is increasing.

"Now we are travelling mostly by seaplane. The seaplane flight system is only during the day, from 6 am to 6 pm, but tourists want to come to Maldives and go to resorts or their destinations not only during the day but also at night," he said.

"So the most important thing is point-to-point transfer, otherwise we are forced to find another way to do a frequency sensitive operation, so the government has decided to start helicopter operations," he said.

The minister added: