According to Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) dredging work for a new airport in Guraidhoo, Thaa Atoll, has been completed, with efforts underway to protect the reclaimed area.
The project is being carried out by MTCC while airport development has been awarded to Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).
According to MTCC, work on dredging began in June last year, with approximately 13.8 hectares of land reclaimed for the project. Sand-filling operations have now been finalised, and efforts are under way to protect the reclaimed area. Coastal protection measures include the installation of a gravel revetment stretching 979 metres, alongside a 609 metre geobag revetment. MTCC said it is working to complete the remaining work as quickly as possible, with around 70 percent of the overall project now finished.
The government awarded the airport development contract to MACL in September. On a communty outreach visit to the island in Spetember, the President said construction would be completed within 22 months, with the airport expected to become operational on Independence Day.
Guraidhoo, home to around 1,300 residents, is expected to benefit economically from the project. Government expects the airport to help boost tourism in Thaa Atoll and improve connectivity, potentially bringing wider development opportunities to the island.