A new agreement has been signed for the land reclamation, coastal protection, and infrastructure development required for the proposed domestic airport in B. Thulhaadhoo. The project has been awarded to the state-owned Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), following the cancellation of a previous contract signed in 2023 with Sri Lankan firm Capital Marine and Civil Construction (CMCC).
The earlier agreement, valued at USD 42.4 million (MVR 653 million), was awarded in July 2023 under the previous administration, with work beginning in August that year. Operations later came to a halt following the change in government.
The new agreement was formalised on Monday at the Ministry of Construction, with State Minister for Construction Hassan Rasheed signing on behalf of the government and MTCC Deputy Managing Director Mohamed Jamsheed signing for the company.
Under the revised plan, MVR 570.26 million has been allocated for dredging and beach protection works. The project, expected to take 660 days, will involve dredging 55.4 hectares of land, constructing 2,804 metres of rock revetment, and installing 1,677 metres of geo bag revetment. The airport will feature a runway 1,800 metres long and 30 metres wide.
According to the government, the development of the Thulhaadhoo domestic airport forms part of a broader policy to expand the domestic airport network, aiming to reduce travel time so that no inhabited island, resort, or industrial area is more than 30 minutes away from a domestic airport.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has said the project will be reviewed to ensure it meets community requirements and incorporates updated standards. His visit to Thulhaadhoo, as part of his current tour of Baa Atoll, is expected to include the inauguration of the dredging work.
