Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure has contracted the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) to upgrade the Maafaru International Airport and expand the runway.
The agreement was signed by Director General at the Planning Ministry Fathimath Shaana Farooq and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MTCC Adam Azim. The project is funded with a USD27 million grant from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD). CEO Azim said this was the largest project MTCC will undertake with funding from a foreign agency and that the company aims to complete the project within one year.
The upgrade and expansion are part of the second phase of the development of Maafaru International Airport. MTCC is tasked with expanding the runway by 650m, expanding the strip, as well as reclaiming land, and building coastal protection structures. Other tasks include upgrading the runway pavement, expanding the taxiway, and upgrading the aeronautical ground lighting (AGL) and power system.
Maafaru International Airport was opened for scheduled flights in 2020. The airport was built from a grant of USD60 million provided by the ADFD. The airport has a 2,200m long and a 40m wide runway and is designed to handle the largest aircraft in operation including the Airbus A380 superjumbo jets and the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.