Physical works have commenced to reclaim land required to develop the airport in Baa atoll Thulhaadhoo.
Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure contracted Capital Marine and Construction Private Limited for the project in July 2023.
The project involves reclaiming 44 hectares of land for Thulhaadhoo. While the government initially estimated a total project cost of MVR 21.9 million, it was ultimately contracted to Capital Marine using a cross-subsidy approach.
The cross-subsidy approach provides contractors who are willing to self-fund projects with the opportunity to lease islands for tourist resort development. Thulhaadhoo was included in the list of islands announced by the government in November 2022 as part of the cross-subsidy development projects.
In addition to Thulhaadhoo, the government has also entered into agreements with contractors for the reclamation of land in Shaviyani atoll Bilehfahi and Thaa atoll Vilufushi for developmental projects. The ministry said that the total cost of reclaiming the islands is estimated to be MVR 654 million.
The current government envisions facilitating public transportation by sea and air, for which it has launched a nationwide initiative to develop regional airports. The government aims to ensure that residents of local islands can reach an airport within 30 minutes of travel via speedboat.
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