The President Inaugurates GIA Expansion Project

On Sunday, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih inaugurated the Gan International Airport (GIA) expansion project which aims at improving the primary gateway to the South of Maldives. During the ceremony held at Gan, the President shed light on the history of the airport and stated that the 66-year delay in the GIA development project is sufficient evidence of its reality.

The President noted that his administration would equip GIA with modern amenities to house a capacity of 1.5 million tourists annually. Speaking further, President Solih said that the initiatives undertaken by his administration aim at doubling the nation’s economy within the next ten years. In this way, the development of GIA is strategically designed to accommodate future commerce and tourism demands with essential services and infrastructure outlined for future expansion.

Moreover, the President underscored the link between the airport’s development and the streamlining of the export of yellowfin tuna in the Southern atolls. He spotlighted the ongoing development of the Addu Fisheries Complex and the GIA cold storage cargo facility services which will address multiple challenges faced by fishermen in the South of Maldives. Likewise, MIFCO is also expected to start development work in July which will ultimately double the capacity for brine freezing from 50 to 100 metric tonnes.

At the ceremony, the President also made remarks about the expansion of the integrated tourism development project in Addu City which encompasses the development of five additional islands together with Hankede. In this regard, President Solih emphasized the comprehensive nature of Addu City’s development initiative and the concurrent implementation of various projects to ensure maximum realization.

Once the development of Addu City is complete it is expected to become the regional economic hub for the overall progress of the nation. The project is facilitated with the help of the strong and positive bilateral relationship between the Maldives and India. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Indian delegates as well including His Excellency V. Muraleedharan, Minister for State for External Affairs of India and His Excellency, Munu Mahawar, High Commissioner of the Republic of India to the Maldives.