MACL Conducts Emergency Preparedness Exercise Ahead of Airport Safety Drill

Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), together with relevant government and private agencies, has carried out a special exercise to assess preparedness for the upcoming Airport Full-Scale Emergency Exercise (AFEX) at Velana International Airport (VIA).

The preparatory activity, held at Hulhule Island Hotel today, aimed to evaluate the readiness of institutions involved in responding to potential emergency situations at the country’s main gateway. AFEX is scheduled for 8 September 2025 and is designed to test VIA’s emergency plan, institutional standard operating procedures (SOPs), and the contingency measures of the airline taking part in the drill.

According to MACL, 80 representatives from 18 different agencies participated in today’s session, which included discussions on observed challenges and areas of improvement. Senior MACL officials, including Managing Director Ibrahim Sharif Mohammed, Deputy Managing Director Mujthaba Lateef, and Deputy Managing Director Mohammed Lamaan, also took part in the event.

AFEX is a mandatory safety requirement, conducted in line with standards set by the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority (MCAA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The upcoming exercise will involve 33 agencies and 391 volunteers, making it one of the largest emergency preparedness activities conducted at the airport.

The last full-scale emergency exercise at VIA was held several years ago, and officials stressed the importance of regular drills to ensure effective coordination between agencies during crisis situations.