Airport's new terminal will complete by Sept 2024, says Muizzu
Saudi Arabia has recently decided to provide an additional USD 100 million loan to complete the terminal.
By
Ahmed Mizyal
President-elect Dr Mohamed Muizzu on Sunday expressed confidence that the new terminal of Velana International Airport (VIA) will be completed by September.
The Maldives National Association of Construction Industry (MACI) and the National Federation of Maldivian Employees (NFME) jointly welcomed the President-elect at Hotel Jen on Sunday evening.
The most important thing Muizzu mentioned is the completion of the VIA development project.
Muizzu said that the findings of his teams during the transitional phase showed that the airport project was not set to be completed soon.
"After this year and the next, the terminal is supposed to be completed in July 2025. That is too late and unacceptable," Muizzu said.
The airport's new terminal is expected to be completed by next year's peak season, Muizzu said at the Hotelier Maldives GM Forum held on October 19. However, he did not give a specific date at the time.
The project will be completed by September next year at the latest, eight months ahead of the current schedule, Muizzu said on Sunday.
"We have already started working on it. I am sure we will work with all the parties involved, and with your support we will succeed," he said.
Saudi Arabia's Bin Laden Group was awarded the contract to build the new terminal. The company has subcontracted the project to China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC).
Saudi Arabia has recently decided to provide an additional USD 100 million loan to complete the terminal.
The airport's new terminal:
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It was handed over to the Saudi Bin Laden Group in May 2016
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USD 350 million (MVR 5.3 billion) to be spent on it
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A terminal capable of serving 7.5 million passengers
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40 departure gates and 38 immigration counters
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Aero bridges will be installed