The Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) has been awarded the contract for the second phase of Maafaru International Airport (MIA) expansion.
MTCC's CEO, Adam Azim, signed the agreement on behalf of the company at a ceremony held at the Planning Ministry on Thursday. The Planning Ministry was represented by its Director General, Fathimath Shana Farooq.
The contract, valued at US$27.1 million, has been awarded to MTCC for completion within one year.
Speaking to reporters at the ceremony, Azim said the project is MTCC's largest foreign-funded project in recent history.
"This project was won by MTCC in competition with three major foreign companies. Therefore, I congratulate the employees of MTCC," Azim said.
The main task of the project is to resurface the entire runway of the airport. The existing 2.2 km runway will be extended to 2.85 km.
Azim said the project's work would start the same day. He said the work would be completed in one year if no environment-related work was required.
"If further EIA work is required, the work will be completed within one year from the date of completion of the EIA," Azim said.
The MIA was developed by Singapore's Tuff Infrastructure under a US$60 million grant from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development. The airport was developed with a 2,200-metre-long and 40-meter-wide runway to accommodate the world's largest aircraft, the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737.
Maafary International Airport opened on December 1, 2019.
