First built by the Royal Navy, and transferred to the Royal Air Force as RAF Gan, it was a military airbase used during World War II and until 1976. The British handed it over to the government and it was used as a domestic airport. Recently the airport has been upgraded to international standards in preparation for international flights with the opening of tourist resorts in the area. The airport was run by the Government of Maldives with a human resource base consisting ofcivil servants along with technical assistance from Maldives Airports Company Limited until January 2010. In June 2009 a public enterprise by the name of Gan Airport Company Limited was established by H.E. President Mohamed Nasheed as part of GoM's privatisation policy. GACL took over management of GIA in January 2010. A transitional stage followed with an administrative restructuring which also involved a formal transfer of existing civil servants into the company's new organizational structure. To promote tourism and other economic activity in the south a new venture was formed early in 2012 to further develop and expand GIA. A joint venture was formed between GACL, MACL and State Trading Organization Plc. The new venture is Addu International Airport Pvt Ltd. Gan International Airport is now owned and managed by Addu International Airport Pvt Ltd.
Facilities
The airport lies at an elevation of above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 10/28 with a concrete surface measuring. Gan International Airport is at the southern tip of the country, and allows international and domestic aircraft movements year-round. The Executive Terminal built for the SAARC summit in 2011 was taken over by Shangri-La's Villingili Resort and Spa for the arrival and departure of Shangri-La's guests at Gan. It was the first private executive terminal in the Maldives.
Airlines and destinations
As of July 2019, the following airlines offer regularly schedules services:
On 12 March 2019 a MaldivianBombardier Dash 8 Q300 suffered a landing gear malfunction, due to which the plane circled around the airport for 1 hour. The plane landed safely but the landing gear was not fully retracted. This was the first ever incident to occur in Gan international airport.
