AIA: Seaplane base at Gan Airport almost complete

Addu International Airports (AIA) Private Limited has declared that the seaplane base being built at Gan International Airport, Addu City, was almost complete.

AIA assigned the work of building the seaplane base to Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA) – the largest seaplane operator in the world – in August 16.

General Manager of AIA, Ibthishama Ahmed Saeed spoke to “Sun” and said that the seaplane base was almost complete.

“The water runway has been built, and fuel facilities and desalination plants have been established. The seaplane base is almost complete,” said Ibthishama.

Once the base is complete, the south of Maldives will become part of the larger seaplane network covering the country – increasing the convenience of tourists travelling to resorts in the south by cutting down travel time.

Seaplanes in the country are mostly used to transport tourists from the international airports of the country to resorts. And the seaplane base in Gan is expected to play a pivotal role in developing the tourism industry in the south.

Currently in the middle of a development project; the runway in Gan International Airport has been made the largest runway in the country at the moment, while Sri Lankan Airlines is fully prepared to start direct flights between Colombo and Gan as soon as they get their permits.

Gan International Airport has two bowsers with the capacity to store 40,000 liters and 3,400 liters of fuel, and a fuel storage with the capacity for 2,600 kiloliters.

Ibthishama said that operations of the fuel farm were to be further developed, and equipment used for air traffic and ground handling to be updated.