The Maldives on Sunday awarded the project to reclaim land for the airport to be developed in Gaafu Dhaal Atoll's Faresmaathoda to Gulf Cobla Tennssor Maldives for USD 2.5 million (MVR 38 million).
The agreement was signed by Minister of Tourism Moosa Zameer and Gulf Cobla Tennssor's Managing Director Ahmed Michael in a ceremony held at the ministry.
Under the agreement, Gulf Cobla is to reclaim 13.6 hectares of land for the airport, as well as undertake coastal protection and reinforcement.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Zameer stated that the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) for Faresmaathoda's planned airport is currently underway. Land reclamation is expected to commence within a couple of months after the EIA report.
Zameer further revealed that Gulf Cobla is mandated to complete the project within 90 days, and that the company has assured it would finish reclamation within two to three months. The minister added that the government would seek a contractor to construct the airport as soon as reclamation was completed.
In his address, the minister highlighted that transportation is currently difficult to the atolls of Gaafu Alif and Gaafu Dhaal. He declared that the airports being developed in Faresmaathoda, and Maavaarulu in Gaafu Alif Atoll, would ease travel and, thus, pave the way for greater progress and better tourism in the southern atolls.
The government borrowed USD 4 million (MVR 61 million) as a no-interest loan from local tycoon Champa Mohamed Moosa to finance the Faresmaathoda airport project. Granted without a repayment period, the remaining USD 1.5 million of the loan is to be used for other developments of the airport.
Including the airport in Faresmaathoda, eight airports are currently under development across the Maldives, most of which the government expects to complete and unveil this year.
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