The first test flight has landed at the domestic airport developed in Funadhoo, Shaviyani atoll.
The residents of the island gathered at the airport to receive the technical team that arrived from the first test flight.
Commercial operation at the airport will begin on February 1, with three weekly flights scheduled to be made to Funadhoo. Flight operations will be increased to three flights per day at the end of March.
The airport was constructed by Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) and has a 1,200-metre-long and a 30-metre-wide runway. The airport was developed in a land area of 40 hectares following the reclamation of land from the lagoon.
The airport development project in Funadhoo was completed at a cost of USD 5.7 million and was funded from the state budget.