Today a management team consisting of Operations Director Mr. Mohammed Naeem ,the Chief Pilot Captain William(“Bill”) Babcock, the Manager Technical Coordination Mr. Ibrahim Khalid and TMA’s MD all paid a courtesy visit to Male International Airport’s Air Traffic Control Center. They were received by the Chief of Air Traffic Services Mr. Solih and his 2 senior ATS’ – controllers, Ms. Ramza and Ms. Fanjey.

Male’ ATC does not only control all the International Flights by the Scheduled Carriers and the Charter Airlines but also the Domestic Flights operated to 4 Maldivian airports by Island Aviation with a DHC -8 and Dornier -228 both on wheels and the seaplane-transfers operated to about 50 further away Resorts by 17 DHC-6 aircraft operated by MAT and 13 DHC – TwinOtters of Trans Maldivian(TMA).

The seaplanes operate across the international runway to the East of the Airport and make use of 4 water runways. With 30 Twin Otters operating a high - frequency /short - haul network they sometimes can even be seen queueing up in the air or on the water for landings and take offs.

This gave us also a chance to see work-in-progress on the completely new Wide Body Terminal under construction for simultaneously handling 7 Wide Body Aircraft at a nose-in docking terminal with air bridges.

In the background you can see the modern high – rise skyline of Male’ , the capital of the Maldives.

In the above pictures one can see the harbour for Dhonis (ferries) to Male’ and speed boats to nearby resorts islands.

Finally the last picture shows the roof of the current terminal buildings between the harbour and the airport apron.