President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has inaugurated the regional airport developed in Meemu Muli island.
Muli airport project was promised by both the presidential candidates, former President Abdulla Yameen and former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, in 2018. It was included in the state budget for 2019.
At the inauguration ceremony on Tuesday, construction minister Abdulla Muththalib claimed that land reclamation for the project began when Muizzu was the housing minister.
Muizzu was the housing minister during the government of former President Abdulla Yameen from 2013 to 2018.
"Muli, Bileiyfahi airport are projects that President Yameen announced. He started the Muli land reclamation project to build the airport in Muli. He made the master plan for the mega project including Bileiyfahi land reclamation, airport and tourism," Muizzu previously said on November 13, 2020.
However, Solih's government, from 2018 to 2023, signed the project agreement with Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) to reclaim an additional 14 hectares for the airport runway.
"The airport in Muli has been under construction for a long time. As the minister (Muththalib) mentioned here just now, it has been about 14 years since it was started. We had a lot of work to complete when this government took over," Muizzu said on Tuesday.
Timeline of Muli land reclamation
- March 11, 2014 - MTCC contracted to reclaim 40 hectares of land
- July 3, 2014 - Island council concerned over project delays
- September 4, 2014 - Malaysia's Evosun sub-contracted for land reclamation
- December 31, 2014 - Reclamation officially began
- July 10, 2018 - Completion of reclamation
Timeline of Muli airport project
- February 28, 2021 - Agreement signed with MTCC to build airport
- April 6, 2021 - MTCC mobilizes at airport construction site
- March 2022 - Project work began officially
- July 11, 2023 - 60 percent of the airport is complete
- April 25, 2025 - Airport works completed
- May 20, 2025 - Airport officially opens
A 1200 meter long and 30 meter wide runway has been constructed at Muli airport. MTCC was awarded the contract for the construction of the airport at a cost of MVR 221.7 million.
No practical work on the airport was done during the Yameen government. The project agreement was signed during the Solih government. The project was completed and inaugurated by the Muizzu government. But the airport was financed with the people's money paid to the state as taxes.
