China's BUCG contracted to repair old runway

China's Beijing Urban Construction Group (BUCG) has been contracted to repair the old runway at Velana International Airport (VIA).

This runway was the first used at the airport, and is currently used as a taxiway.

In a ceremony held at VIA yesterday, the work was officially handed over to BUCG, with work slated to begin in November and to be completed by mid-2027.

The project, titled 'Taxiway Charlie Rebuild', will see the runway renovated to modern standards. The runway is 3200 meters long, and will be developed as a parallel taxiway.

Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) Managing Director Ibrahim Shareef Mohamed said that this runway was first built in 1976, and is the oldest infrastructure at the airport.

With the introduction of the new runway, this runway was repurposed as a taxiway in 2022. Shareef said that this change had reduced the waiting times for crafts to land at the airport.

He said that the taxiway is also used as an emergency runway.

Shareef said that the deteriorating condition of the old runway raises concerns that the airport may run out of options in instances where a second runway is needed for emergency situations. As this would affect the economy, it is crucial to repair the old runway, he said.

The current runway was also built by BUCG. This runway, built through assistance from China's EXIM Bank, is 3400 meters long and 60 meters wide. The runway allows for landing of large craft such as A380s. The project cost USD 450 million.