News Desk
Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) veteran Ali Shareef was honored in Singapore on Friday with the prestigious Singapore Airlines CEO Service Excellence Award.
Shareef, who serves as Senior General Manager and Head of Ramp Services at Velana International Airport (VIA), picked up the award at a ceremony held at The Singapore EDITION hotel on August 28. The accolade marks a rare nod for an overseas ground handling partner at the airline’s annual showcase.
Singapore Airlines recognized Shareef for fixing critical tarmac operations in Malé, directly cutting down flight delays and wiping out cargo handling accidents.
Among his key operational changes was introducing a mandatory photo verification check for cargo, a simple safety tweak that completely eliminated cargo handling safety incidents at VIA.
To tackle flight delays on the ground, Shareef created the airport’s first-ever dedicated turnaround coordinator role. The move closed long-standing communication gaps between separate tarmac crews, boosting on-time flight performance from 86.1 percent to 87.7 percent.
He also led a joint benchmarking drive with Singapore-based ground handler SATS to overhaul aircraft cabin prep, driving plane cleanliness scores up to 91.6 from an earlier 86 rating.
For those familiar with the daily hustle on the apron in Malé, the recognition comes after years of frontline groundwork. Shareef currently manages a 900-strong workforce at MACL, overseeing everything that happens between an aircraft landing and its next departure, including baggage handling, servicing, refueling, and cargo checks.
His routine on the tarmac is backed by nearly two decades in local aviation. Shareef started out at MACL in September 2008 as a frontline ramp operations officer before moving up the ladder to lead international ground handling, manage major Operational Readiness and Airport Transition (ORAT) projects from 2021 to 2023, and head ramp planning and performance.
Shareef holds a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management from Coventry University and completed his MBA at Zikura College in 2024. Alongside managing MACL’s largest frontline operational team, he also lectures part-time at Villa College to help train the country’s next generation of aviation workers.
