Mafaaru Island Council has stated that the economy of the island could grow more once international flights start landing directly with the completion of the second phase of the airport development project. The council stated that the second phase of the airport development project is progressing at a fast pace.
The upgrade and expansion are part of the second phase of the development of Maafaru International Airport. MTCC is tasked with expanding the current 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. In addition, the airport development is also intended to address the lack of VIP lounges as a large number of private jets land at the airport.
President of the Maafaru Island Council Mohamed Adnan has stated that he believes that the economy of the island could grow as international flights start landing directly at the airport. He said the second phase of the airport development is progressing at a fast pace. In addition, he said that the land will be allocated for the airport will not conflict with the lives of the residents of the island.
Maafaru International Airport was opened for scheduled flights in 2020. The project is funded with a USD27 million grant from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (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.