airport with the economic vision of the Yameen administration. Privatisation of the airport In 2010, the Nasheed administration appointed IFC to run a bidding process for the privatisation of the airport. The bid was won by a consortium between GMR Group and Malaysia Airports who provided Rufiyaa 1 billion as upfront fee to the government for the expansion and modernisation of the airport by 2014, and its operation for 25 years. By the end of the year, MACL officially handed over the aerodrome licence of the airport to the newly formed GMR Malé International Airport Ltd (GMIAL). GMIAL announced that the development plans included reclaiming more land at the eastern end of the runway; where a new terminal is to be built. This terminal would consist of three separate bridged buildings. Plans for a separate cargo terminal were also announced. However, the project faced numerous delays. In late 2012, the new government of Maldives under the Waheed administration declared that the concession agreement was void ab initio and on 27 November 2012 gave GMIAL a deadline of seven days to 'evict the airport', a decision which drew mass protests from the government's opposition, as well as criticism from the government and media of India. On 7 December, GMR handed over the airport to the government, and MACL was reinstated as the operator. Expansion of the airport On 18 September 2018, the airport finished a new runway. It is 3,400 metres long and 60 metres wide, built to serve larger aircraft. However, it was only used as a taxiway until 2022 when the old Trans Maldivian Airways seaplane terminal was finally demolished as it was in closer proximity than required by International aviation standards. It's expected to be the main runway at Velana International Airport by the winter of 2022. On 26 June 2019, a Maldivian Airbus A320 successfully tested the new southwest apron at Velana International Airport. This was the first live flight operation testing by Maldives Airports Company as they awaited final certification for operations. On 17 July 2019, the new apron was opened for flight operations. The ICAO fully compliant apron has three Code E MARS stands, two dedicated Code E stands and one dedicated Code C stand. On 6 October 2022, a new Seaplane Terminal was opened. The terminal was developed by China’s Beijing Urban Construction Group (BUCG) at a cost of US$55 million. In the world’s