Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has revealed the development of the new runway of Velana International Airport (VIA) will be completed by the end of July and will be ready for test flights in September.
With the completion of the runway, VIA would be able to service world's largest passenger airlines, including Airbus A380, assured MACL. The new runway would be 3,400 metres long and 65 meters wide while the existing runway is 3,200 meters long and 45 meters wide. Furthermore, MACL said the taxiway linking the two runways and the new apron will also be completed as part of the project.
Moreover, MACL said the process of certification will take at least 2 to 3 months before officially opening the runway. The consultant of the project is conducted by well-known Surbana Jurong Private Limited of Singapore. The development of the new runway is part of the mega project began in February 2017.
MACL is also conducting another project at VIA to develop the new passenger terminal complex as part of the expansion of VIA. The expansion of VIA, at a cost of USD 1 billion, is one of the largest mega projects to be conducted in Maldives.