The Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has officially been handed the contract to develop and operate the new airport in Faafu atoll Nilandhoo. The agreement was signed on Saturday during a ceremony held on the island, attended by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu as part of his current tour of the atolls.
The contract was signed between Finance Minister Moosa Zameer and MACL Managing Director Ibrahim Shareef Mohamed. Under the project, MACL will be responsible for constructing what has been described as a state-of-the-art airport, including an 1,800-metre runway.
President Muizzu noted that land reclamation is nearing completion for the runway. He added that while the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) had initially been contracted to reclaim land for a 1,500-metre runway, the scope has now been expanded to include an additional 300 metres.
He described the airport as an important development not only for Nilandhoo but for the entire atoll. The project is part of the government’s wider policy of ensuring that every inhabited island, resort, or industrial area is within a 30-minute distance of a domestic airport.
MTCC was first awarded the airport construction contract in March 2024, with work to be completed within 390 days. The project has since shifted to MACL, which will oversee both the construction and operation of the facility.
Plans for an airport in Nilandhoo are not new. The administration of former President Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayoom had also allocated budget funds for its construction, although the project did not move forward at the time.
Once completed, the Nilandhoo airport is expected to improve connectivity and support economic growth across Faafu atoll.
