Gan International Airport

History

First built by the Royal Navy, and transferred to the Royal Air Force as RAF Gan, it was a military airbase used during World War II and until 1976. The British handed it over to the government and it was used as a domestic airport. Recently the airport has been upgraded to international standards in preparation for international flights with the opening of tourist resorts in the area.

The airport was run by the Government of Maldives (GoM) with a human resource base consisting of civil servants along with technical assistance from Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) until January 2010. In June 2009 a public enterprise by the name of Gan Airport Company Limited (GACL) was established by H.E. President Mohamed Nasheed as part of GoM's privatisation policy. GACL took over management of GIA in January 2010. A transitional stage followed with administrative restructuring which also involved formal transfer of existing civil servants into the company's new organizational structure.

To promote tourism and other economic activity in the south a new venture was formed early in 2012 to further develop and expand GIA. A joint venture was formed between GACL, MACL and State Trading Organization plc (STO). The new venture is Addu International Airport pvt ltd (AIA). Gan International Airport is now owned and managed by Addu International Airport pvt ltd.

Facilities

The airport lies at an elevation of 6 feet (2 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 10/28 with a concrete surface measuring 2,651 by 45 metres (8,698 ft × 148 ft). Gan International Airport (GIA) is situated at the southern tip of the country, and allows international and domestic aircraft movements year-round. The Executive Terminal built for the SAARC summit in 2011 was taken over by Shangri-La's Villingili Resort and Spa for the arrival and departure of Shangri-La's guests at Gan. The first private executive terminal in the Maldives.