Mumbai: Maldives, on Tuesday, asked GMR-led consortium GMR Male’ International Airport Pvt. Ltd. (GMIAL) to surrender control of the Male airport and handover the management to state-run Male Airport Corporation Ltd (MACL) by Saturday for a smooth transition.
But GMR made it clear that it had legal backing to continue operation.
The chief executive officer (CEO) of GMIAL, Andrew Harrison, in a statement, said that the acting Transport Minister, who was also the Defence Minister, called on him at the Male’ airport on Tuesday and asked him that MACL would operate the airport from Saturday morning in line with the Government of Maldives communication to the consortium.
“The Minister wanted a smooth transition as the airport operations should not be affected, and suffer in any way. Passengers should not be inconvenienced and, therefore, all activities would be allowed to continue as is,” Mr. Harrison said.
The meeting was attended by the Acting Transport Minister, the Chairman of Maldives Civil Aviation Authority, GMR’s lawyer in Maldives and three members of MNDF.
04/12/12 Lalatendu Mishra/The Hindu
