Beijing Urban Construction Group (BUCG) has begun the redevelopment of taxiway charlie at Velana International Airport (VIA).
Maldives Airports Company (MACL) said the redevelopment of the 3,200-metre taxiway will ensure better services to aircraft and passengers, reduce flight turn-around time and speed up operations.
MACL CEO and MD Ibrahim Shareef Mohamed said the former runway and the current taxiway were badly damaged by the tsunami.
He said the redeveloped taxiway can be used as an emergency runway.
BUCG Chairman Li Weidon said the relationship between the two companies has become a valuable partnership over the last 10 years.
BUCG's projects at VIA include Code-F runway, Noovilu seaplane terminal, VIP/CIP terminal, cargo terminal and fuel farm.
Taxiway charlie was the first runway built at VIA. The runway was developed in 1981 to accommodate wide-body aircraft.
The runway has since been extended and repaired several times. It was severely damaged and needed frequent repairs after the 2004 tsunami.
