Eight parties interested to develop airport in Maafaru

Eight parties have submitted Expression of Interests to develop a domestic airport in the island of Maafaru in Noonu atoll, north of the Maldives.

A senior official from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture revealed that period for the EOI to a tourist resort in a separate island in Noonu atoll, in conjunction with the airport project, expired at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday.

Kuwaiti company, International Holding Company and a local company, I & T Management expressed interest for the Maafaru airport project earlier this year. Both companies later recalled their proposals.

The Tourism Ministry official said that the EOI's will be evaluated during next week.

“It is a long holiday after today. But we will evaluate the proposals very soon and invite the parties who qualify to submit RFPs. We want this to progress swiftly,” the official said.

The government called for EOIs for the Maafaru airport development project on 22nd September.

In 2008, the government terminated its agreement with Noonu Hotels for the development of an airport in Maafaru.

The project was announced again on 4 February 2013, after the people of Maafaru staged protests against the delay in commencement of the project, claiming that they were being denied basic needs.

Then acting Minister of Transport Mohamed Nazim was summoned to the Parliament Committee on Oversight of the Government over the protests

Noonu Hotels was also given an island for resort development in conjunction with the Maafaru airport project. According to the government, the company paid $7 million as advance rent for the island.