Maldives airport to be expand – A Controversial $800m China contract

The Maldives government entered into a controversial $800 million contract to expand the country’s main airport. The cause for debate is the fact that the project was awarded to a Chinese company and the possibility that India, the islands’ giant neighbor may become irritated. The construction work was inaugurated by President Abdulla Yameen in a ceremony held in April.Maldives, home to a variety of luxury hotels and resorts such as PER AQUUM Hotels & Resorts, can definitely benefit from a larger airport.

According to a government statement the president hopes that the airport would become the islands’ economic backbone and gateway to modern development.The project is handled by the Beijing Urban Construction Group. It was awarded to the company when the Chinese president, Xi Jinping visited the Maldives in September, 2014. As a result, New Delhi threatened to cut off their aids to Maldives. The new expansion will allow the Airbus A380 to land at the airport along with the capacity to handle 7.5 million passengers annually.