Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu said during a public presentation in Male last week that the “initial phase” of a long-term plan to significantly expand the airport’s capacity will be completed when a larger domestic terminal capable of handling 7.3 million annual passengers opens this year.

The new domestic terminal will be capable of handling 2,000 passengers per hour, up from 300 per hour in the current domestic terminal, according to MLE. The airport reported it handled a total of 4.3 million passengers in 2022, a strong majority of which were international passengers.

Muizzu said MLE is also planning a dedicated LCC terminal with capacity to handle 1,000 passengers per hour. No timeline was given on the LCC terminal.

Expansion plans also include growing fuel farm capacity from 15 million liters to 45 million liters and building an MRO facility “adhering to [European Union Aviation Safety Agency] standards,” according to the airport.

Muizzu said he envisions MLE handling 25 million annual passengers—a more than five-fold increase from current levels—within 20 years.