Island Aviation has expressed hope that the airport developed in Madivaru, Lhaviyani Atoll, will be opened this year.
Transport Minister Aishath Nahula said Madivaru Airport is scheduled to be completed before the end of this year.
Minister of State for Transport Ahmed Zuhair said that all the work on Madivaru Airport has now been completed and that Kuredu Holdings, which developed the airport, wants to operate it from Island Aviation. However, no agreement has been signed on the matter yet.
Managing Director of Island Aviation Mohamed Mihad said that discussions are underway regarding the agreements to take over the operation of Madivaru Airport. “We hope that the service will begin before the end of Madivaru by the end of this year. Kuredu airport was built perfectly,” Mihad said.
Kuredu Holdings, a subsidiary of renowned tourism company Crown & Champa, was awarded the construction of a regional airport in Madivaru on May 29, 2018. Kuredu Holdings has previously stated that USD 50 million will be invested in the development of the airport in Madivaru, which was previously run as the MNDF training centre.
This is an airport of the same size as the common regional airports. Airport works were undertaken by China’s Beijing Urban Construction Group (BUCG), which has also worked on many aspects of Velana International Airport (VIA).