Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has finished laying the first layer of asphalt sheets for the new runway at Velana International Airport.
The General Manager of Corporate Communications at MACL, Hassan Areef stated that the first layer of asphalt sheets is 2000m and they have already commenced laying the second layer. The size of this runway will be 3400 meters in length and 60 meters in width.
This new runway has a depth of 200 millimeters and will have the capacity for the landing and take-off of the largest aircrafts as well. A loan of $400 million was taken from China’s EXIM Bank for the completion of this project.
The new terminal design to serve 5 million passengers is developed on a land of 78,000 square meters. The terminal is set to contain 40 passenger counters and 38 immigration counter.
By the end of the project, the new terminal will be equipped with 12 modern jetties, six aero bridges, a fuel hydrant system and a high explosive detection system.
The project is contracted Saudi company, Binladin Group.
