VIA’s Noovilu Seaplane Terminal Receives The 2022 Global Best Projects Awards
Sunday 25th of December 2022
The designated Noovilu Seaplane Terminal at Velana International Airport (VIA) is already adding to its collection of awards. The brand-new Noovilu Seaplane Terminal was recently recognized in the 2022 Global Best Projects Awards presented by Engineering News-Records (ENR). The terminal was distinguished in the Merit of Airport/ Port category of the exclusive awards. ENR’s Global Best Projects identifies and recognizes project teams behind outstanding design and construction efforts of the past year, located anywhere around the world.
Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), the operating company of VIA represented Noovilu and received the award on its behalf. This year marked the 10th annual ENR Global Projects Awards which was conducted virtually on 12th December 2022. A total of 18 categories were hosted in this year’s edition with 34 winning projects from 18 different countries competing for the titles. A panel of industry judges selected the winning projects.
Noovilu Seaplane Terminal was distinguished by the ENR Global Projects for several aspects. The remarkable achievement of the team to meet the deadline despite all the challenges faced by the Covid-19 pandemic and its ensuing difficulties was commended. This included travel restrictions, a shortage of workers as well as supply-chain disruptions, which the team was able to overcome to open the terminal in time.
In addition to this, the awards also acknowledged the team’s effort to adhere to the environmental requirements of the Maldives by paying close attention to construction processes and mitigating the negative implications on the environment particularly, the surrounding coral reefs and the marine biodiversity.
The four-storey seaplane terminal spans 28,000 sqm and provides a contemporary facility to house the largest seaplane operations in the world. The Noovilu Seaplane Terminal is home to a floating dock area which has the capacity to accommodate 55 seaplanes in a perfect, coherent manner. The terminal also includes numerous spacious lounges of various resort chains and is completed with boarding gates, offices and operations spaces. MACL officially inaugurated the terminal on October 6th, 2022.
