The first test flight landed at Faresmathoda Airport on Monday.
Planning Minister Mohamed Aslam, who is from Faresmathoda, traveled to the island on the national carrier, Maldivian's Dash-8 test flight, to the new airport. The minister was accompanied by Maldivian's Deputy Managing Director Aishath Jennifer, Managing Director of Regional Airports Mohamed Rizvi, and FENAKA Corporation's Managing Director Ahmed Saeed.
The airport, which is the third airport in the atoll and the second airport developed by the current government, is scheduled to be officially opened on March 15. The airport will be opened by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
MTCC was awarded the contract to develop the Faresmathoda airport on November 10, 2020, for MVR 144 million. The company was given 600 days to complete the project.
The airport has a 1,200-metre runway, an apron, a taxiway, a terminal, a fire building, service roads, and other facilities for a domestic airport. The interior and exterior of the airport's terminal are uniquely designed.
The airport was built by dredging separate islands in the Faresmathoda lagoon. The mainland will be connected to the airport via a causeway. The causeway is not yet completed, and MTCC is constructing a temporary road to access the airport from the mainland.
