Government Withdraws Appeal, Agrees to Reveal Why MNDF Officers Aren’t Flying Dornier Aircraft

The Government of Maldives has decided to disclose why Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) officers trained to operate Dornier aircraft have not been given the opportunity to fly them. This follows the withdrawal of an appeal filed by the Ministry of Defence at the High Court, which contested an Information Commissioner's Office order to reveal this information.

Initially, the Dornier aircraft were operated by Indian military personnel, who were later replaced by civilian experts from India. In 2021, two MNDF officers, First Lieutenant Ibrahim Shareef and Lieutenant Ahmed Ali, were trained to pilot the craft, with five additional officers trained in military aircraft operations. Four of these officers also completed the Dornier conversion course, according to MNDF.

Under the Right to Information Act, Mihaaru News journalist Nazim Hassan requested the Defence Ministry to clarify whether MNDF officers had operated the Dorniers and why the trained officers were not actively involved. The request also sought to confirm whether any trained pilots had left MNDF and, if so, the reasons for their departure.

Following the Information Commissioner’s order to release this information, the Defence Ministry had previously appealed, citing Article 29 of the RTI Act, which allows the withholding of information related to national security. However, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has now directed the Ministry to withdraw the appeal and disclose the requested details.