President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has inaugurated a project to build a new runway at Velana International Airport (VIA). The project was inaugurated at a ceremony held in Hulhule' Monday morning.
During the event, Managing Director of Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), Adil Moosa presented a corporate gift to the President. Likewise the Chairman of Beijing Urban Construction Group, Chen Dai Hua also presented the President with a corporate gift.
Minister of Economic Development Mohamed Saeed, MACL Managing Director Adil Moosa, Chinese Ambassador to the Maldives, Wang Fukang, and Chairman of Beijing Urban Construction Group, Chen Dai Hua addressed the ceremony attended by members of the Cabinet and senior MACL officials.
The VIA development project is one of the major infrastructure development projects undertaken by the government. The first phase of the two-phase project would see the development of a 3,400-metre long 65-metre wide new runway. The administration has budgeted more than US$800 million for the development of VIA, and according to Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), the new runway alone will cost around US$400 million. With the completion of the new runway, the existing runway would be used as a taxiway.
The first phase of the project, which is contracted to China-based Beijing Urban Construction Group, will also see the development of a cargo complex, with a capacity to store 120,000 tonnes of goods, and a fuel farm with a storage capacity of 45 million litres.
“The new runway, which shares the same direction with the existing runway, will be constructed from south to north,” Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) said. “The new Code E standard runway will be capable of catering for some the biggest aircraft in operation around the world, including Airbus A380.”