Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen has stated that helicopter services will be restarted in the Maldives in accordance with the recommendations and standards provided in the UK Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) assessment.

Speaking at the "Ahaa" forum held last night, the minister stated that the government will prioritize medical evacuations or transporting people in medical emergencies when providing helicopter services.

Although helicopter services were provided in the Maldives 25 years ago, the service was interrupted due to certain incidents that occurred at the time. Therefore, the minister stated that special attention must be paid to safety when restarting this service.

"We don't just need helicopter operators. We also need safety standards in this. God willing, we have now decided to start the service with the guidelines given in the UK CAA assessments," the minister said.

The government has twice opened opportunities for interested parties to submit proposals to start helicopter services. The minister stated that the final stages of initiating this work can be concluded within the next one to two weeks.

The minister explained that the delay in launching the service is due to a lack of industry experts, as it is a highly technical matter. However, he noted that the service will be launched before long. Minister Ameen previously stated that the government's target is to officially launch helicopter services in the Maldives no later than November 1, 2027.

In addition to transporting tourists, the helicopter service must provide search and rescue and medical evacuation services. Under the established policy, for the first three years of operation, medical evacuation services must be provided free of charge for 50 hours each month. Operators selected to provide this service will be granted permits for a maximum period of ten years.