MTCC signs to take on land reclamation for Nilandhoo Airport

Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) has been handed over the project today to conduct land reclamation necessary for the construction of the airport in Faafu Atoll Nilandhoo.

The agreement was signed between MTCC and the Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure at an event held at the Ministry today. While Minister Dr Abdulla Muththalib signed on behalf of the Ministry, CEO Abdulla Ziyad signed from MTCC.

A total area of 42.6 hectares of land will be reclaimed for the construction of this airport. Additionally, a 2,098 meter long stone revetment wall, as well as a 1,400 meter long geo-bag revetment will be set up, MTCC said.

The work is scheduled to be completed within a period of 390 days.

The Nilandhoo airport is an initiative under the government's policy of expanding the domestic airport network through establishing a domestic airport no more than 30 minutes of travel away from every inhabited island, resort and commercial area in Maldives.

Meanwhile, construction of an airport in Magoodhoo, another island near Nilandhoo, has also neared completion. The airport project in Nilandhoo was announced while the Magoodhoo aiport project is also underway. Meanwhile, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu's sister Fathimath Saudha is competing for this constituency in the upcoming parliamentary election.

Travel between Magoodhoo and Nilandhoo takes only five minutes via speedboat, and about 20 minutes by a regular ferry.

A member of the Magoodhoo Council stated that the employees from the island who are working on the airport project have been instructed by MTCC to sign in every day, and then stay home. They said that while work has now been halted for four days, neither MTCC nor any other government entity had provided any explanations to them.

"In an atoll like this with such a low population, I don't think it will work out to establish so many airports. We sent a letter to the President two or three months ago after hearing rumours that the airport project was going to be halted. To this day, we have not yet received a response," the Council member said.

However, Minister of Construction and Infrastructure Dr Muththalib told Mihaaru on Wednesday that the government had not issued any orders to MTCC to either halt or pause the Magoodhoo Airport work.

"Maybe MTCC has paused the work due to some internal issue they faced. There is no direct instruction from the government to pause work on the Magoodhoo Airport project," the Minister said.

MTCC has stated that the work is halted due to issues such as difficulties in procuring some necessary materials.