First phase of VIA taxiway completed

The first phase of the Taxiway Charlie redevelopment project at Velana International Airport (VIA) has been completed and officially handed over to the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).

In a statement released yesterday, MACL announced the milestone, marking significant progress in the airport's ongoing infrastructure modernization efforts.

The handover ceremony was attended by MACL Chairperson Aisha Noorain Janah, members of the MACL Board and Executive Committee, Zhang Fenglin representing BUCG International—the contractor for the project—Fathimath Ramiza, Director at the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority, and Ibrahim Thoha, Managing Director of the Maldives National Air Traffic Services (MNATS).

Speaking at the ceremony, MACL described the development of Taxiway Charlie as a major step forward in enhancing airport capacity and efficiency, noting that the upgraded infrastructure will benefit all airlines operating at VIA.

MACL Chairperson Noorain Janah expressed appreciation to BUCG International for being a “reliable and important partner” in the transformation of VIA.

The Taxiway Charlie redevelopment project involves rebuilding and modernizing what was previously the original runway at Velana International Airport. Constructed in 1981, the original runway was designed to handle wide-body aircraft and served as VIA’s main runway before the development of the current one.

Following damage sustained during the 2004 tsunami, the original runway underwent multiple repairs and extensions over the years. It was later re-designated as Taxiway Charlie to accommodate the airport’s growing traffic needs.

The current redevelopment aims to convert the 3,200-meter stretch into a modern parallel taxiway, improving operational efficiency and reducing runway occupancy time. The project began under the name "Taxiway Charlie Rebuild."

Although originally scheduled for completion by mid-2022, progress was delayed, and the first phase has now been officially completed.