Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) has announced fieldwork has begun for the airport development project in Meemu Atoll.
MTCC stated it is currently completing the beam works for the foundation of the fire building at the project site. Work will begin to build the columns for the building once the beam works are completed within a week, revealed the state-owned company stated
Maldives National Planning, Housing, and Infrastructure contracted MTCC with the development of the airport in February. The airport is being developed in Muli for domestic flight operations. The scope of the project involves the reclamation of 14 hectares of land, coastal protection operations, construction of a 1200-metre by 30-metre runway, a taxiway, and an apron.
MTCC is tasked with completing the project within 365 days at a cost of USD 14 million. The project was previously stalled in order to make changes to the design concept to meet the expectations of local residents. MTCC stated the changes required the reclamation of more hectares of land and more time devoted to the planning stage and conducting the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
The airport is being developed under the government's policy to establish airports within 30 minutes of every inhabited island in the Maldives.
Meemu is the only atoll that does not have access to an airport within 30 minutes of travel. The atoll has a population of 7,700 across eight inhabited islands.