President suggests airstrips for small aircraft as alternative to more airports

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has suggested that building short airstrips capable of accommodating small aircraft could be a more practical alternative to constructing multiple domestic airports across Maldives.

He made the remarks in response to a proposal raised by a youth participant at the event "Youth Coffee with President" held last night where he said that instead of building multiple airports islands couple opt to operate seaplanes.

Responding to the proposal, President Muizzu said one of the main limitations of seaplane services is their inability to operate at night.

“The next option we are discussing is establishing short airstrips on larger islands, or islands with sufficient space. Small aircraft, similar in size to seaplanes but fitted with wheels, could land on these strips,” the president said.

He said a full-scale airport would not be necessary for such operations, adding that an airstrip of around 600 metres would be sufficient to accommodate aircraft of that size. Seaplane-sized aircraft could be equipped with wheels to operate from these airstrips, he said.

President Muizzu said this approach could reduce the need to build numerous airports while still allowing aircraft access to more islands.

While he made these remarks, thie government has pursued a policy of ensuring that every island is within 30 minutes of an airport. President Muizzu has also pledged to build multiple airports.