'Had proper approvals': India rejects Maldives' claim of unauthorised aviation ops in 2019

India dismissed Maldivian Defence Minister Ghassan Maumoon's allegations that Indian military helicopter pilots stationed in the Maldives carried out an unauthorised operation in 2019  

Indian aviation platforms in the Maldives have always operated according to the 'agreed procedures and with due authorisation', India said, adding that the emergency landing in Thimarafushi was due to an unforeseen exigency. 

In a press conference in Male, Maumoon said that he knew of one of the aviation platforms undertaking an unauthorised sortie. 

The minister alleged that Indian military helicopter pilots had “flown without Maldivian authorisation” during the administration of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in 2019 – a case which he said was reviewed by the Parliament's Committee on National Security Services (241 Committee), when he was a lawmaker. 

Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Chief, Major General Ibrahim Hilmy, who was also at the press conference, alleged that the “unauthorised flight had taken place, with the Indian military personnel landing the helicopter in the island of Thimarafushi in Thaa Atoll, about 222 km south of the capital city of Male. 

Dismissing the allegation, India, "Indian aviation platforms in the Maldives have always operated as per agreed procedures and with due authorisation from MNDF. The specific sortie on 09 October 2019 referred to at the press conference was also undertaken with the approval of MNDF." 

"The emergency landing at Thimarafushi was necessitated due to an unforeseen exigency, which was carried out after taking necessary on-ground approvals from the Air Traffic Control (ATC) to ensure the safety and security of the platform and crew," India said. 

The statement by the High Commission of India comes days after India completed the withdrawal of 76 military personnel from the Maldives following a demand by President Mohamed Muizzu. 

Muizzu, a pro-China leader who came to power in November last year, had set May 10 as the deadline for the withdrawal of the Indian military troops from his country.

Respecting the deadline, India withdrew all its military personnel from Maldives. They were involved in operating two Indian helicopters and a Dornier aircraft in the archipelago for humanitarian assistance and disaster response activities. 

Soon after taking office in November 2023, Muizzu formally requested India to withdraw its military personnel. This issue was also raised during a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the UAE. After this, Maldives also pulled out from a hydrography agreement with India. 

Despite strained ties, New Delhi recently augmented the quota of essential imports to the island nation and extended the $50 million Treasury Bill subscription for an additional year, according to a request from the Muizzu-led Maldivian government. 

Maldives is India’s key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and occupies a special place in its initiatives like ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and the ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’ of the Indian government. 

Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned the Maldives of being at a high risk of ‘debt distress’ amid increasing proximity with China. The strategically important nation is currently governed by a pro-China government.  

While warning about the risk of ‘debt distress’, the IMF called for “urgent policy adjustment" without giving details of the Maldives' foreign debt. 

“Without significant policy changes, the overall fiscal deficits and public debt are projected to stay elevated,” the IMF said after a review of the country’s economy. “The Maldives remains at high risk of external and overall debt distress,” the IMF said in its report.