MACL Requests Police Probe After Drone Failures Cause Major Flight Disruptions During New Terminal Opening at Velana

The Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has requested a police investigation following the crash of several drones during the inauguration ceremony of the new international terminal at Velana International Airport (VIA). The incident caused a significant operational disruption, leading to flight delays, diversions, and nearly two hours of airspace holding for several inbound and outbound aircraft.

The drone crashes occurred just before the airport was scheduled to reopen for night operations at 22:00, following the ceremonial events. Due to debris on or near the runway and safety concerns, the airport remained closed until 23:40, affecting both international and domestic flight schedules.

By that time, three Maldivian flights and one Afcon Cargo flight had already diverted. Other aircraft including flights from Emirates, Singapore Airlines, IndiGo, and Maldivian were forced to hold in the air for extended periods, some for nearly two hours, awaiting clearance to land. Several departures were also delayed as a result of the prolonged closure.

The disruption followed a ceremonial drone and fireworks display marking the terminal’s inauguration, which included a six-minute synchronized fireworks show launched from 19 locations. The fireworks segment earned recognition from Guinness World Records, but the drone failure overshadowed the event’s otherwise historic tone.

MACL has formally asked the Maldives Police Service to investigate whether external interference may have caused the drones to malfunction. According to reports the drone failure is result of signal jamming allegedly linked to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) though MNDF is not directly named.

MACL also cautioned that if the government is found at fault, it could result in a substantial compensation claim by the Dubai-based contractor, SKD, a Turkish-owned company affiliated with Event Maldives.

Both MACL and SKD are said to have incurred significant financial losses due to the failure. As of now, neither MNDF nor police authorities have issued public statements.