Gulf Air Moves to VIA’s New Terminal 1, Becoming Ninth Airline to Operate from the Facility

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Gulf Air has relocated its Maldives operations to the newly opened Terminal 1 at Velana International Airport (VIA), becoming the ninth airline to operate from the upgraded facility. The Bahrain national carrier currently operates a daily service between Malé and Bahrain.

A special ceremony was held to mark the occasion, attended by Chairperson of Visit Maldives Corporation Abdulla Ghiyas, Gulf Air’s Airport Manager Mohamed Arshad Mohamed Nawaz, and Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) Deputy Managing Director Mujthaba Latheef, along with senior officials from both organisations.

The inaugural Gulf Air flight to Terminal 1 was welcomed with a traditional water salute. Eighteen arriving passengers were greeted with cultural performances, while 77 departing passengers on the first outbound flight received commemorative gifts at the new check-in counters.

Gulf Air launched operations to the Maldives in October 2019, and now becomes the second Middle Eastern airline to move to Terminal 1. Other carriers currently operating from the terminal include Maldivian, Air Arabia, Beyond, FitsAir, Beijing Capital Airlines, Batik Air, Bangkok Airways, and IndiGo.