President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Sunday inaugurated a project to develop and modernise the Gan International Airport in Addu.
Financed by a loan from India Exim Bank, the government awarded the project to India's Renaatus. The company's officials and Indian high commissioner Munu Mahawar attended the inauguration ceremony.
Under the USD 27 million project, the airport is to be developed to serve 1.5 million passengers a year. Other facilities would also be established at the airport.
These include duty free shops, restaurants and lounges as well as cold storage, cargo facilities, air traffic control tower, fire station, roads and parking areas.
"Developing Addu city as a regional economic hub is absolutely necessary if we want to develop the whole country. This is the work we're doing. Number one on the list of things that need to be done to achieve this purpose is Gan International Airport," the president said.
After launching the project, Solih said Gan is one of the most strategically important locations in the southern Indian Ocean. This was why the British wanted Gan as well, he said.
The president said Addu regressed since the day the British left. If Addu had been developed in good faith on the foundation that existed then, the airport development ceremony would not have been needed 66 years later, he said, taking note of the removal of modern facilities from Addu.
He noted the importance of projects undertaken in Addu for doubling the Maldivian economy in 10 years.
The president explained other work that is progressing concurrently with the airport project, noting that results could not be produced without all the economic cogs turning together.
As such, the trips that need to be made to Male' to export yellowfin tuna from Addu would benefit when the airport is developed, the president said. Once the Addu fisheries complex and the cold storage cargo facility at the airport are completed, costs would fall and profits would be earned sooner, he said.
The president said the brine freezing capacity in Addu would be doubled from 50 metric tons at present to 100 metric tons. The Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company's (MIFCO) fish harbour would be completed during August and ready for use, he said.
In addition, the airport project would be carried out together with expanding Addu's land, constructing roads and developing more islands for tourism, he said.
The president said it was necessary to carry out projects simultaneously across the country. A happy and content life could not be ensured without tying the Maldives together through an air, sea and land network, he said.
Towards this end, the airport that the government has decided to develop in Raa atoll would be built in Beriyanfaru, he revealed.
"Even if it is done by holding our breath where necessary, coming generations will benefit when we do this work today in the whole of the Maldives. Every Maldivian citizen could only be assured equal rights and a balanced, happy life tomorrow by doing this work today," the president said.
Airport project
The government says the Gan airport development project is one of the most important projects to be carried out under the president's policy to develop Addu as a main economic hub.
After the project is completed, the airport would become a focal point that connects the south of the Maldives with the entire world, the government said.
As a result, Addu's economy would strengthen and opportunities would be created to develop other industries, the government says.
In addition, when direct flights start landing in Gan, opportunities would open especially for developing new guesthouses, resorts and city hotels in Addu.
The government is also carrying out further projects to create more tourist beds in Addu.
While brand new islands are being created for resort development in Addu under the land reclamation project that is now underway, tourism development work is also ongoing in Addu Hankede.
Loans are to be issued for developing guesthouses on land leased for tourism, it is estimated that about 7,000 beds would be created when all the projects are completed.
