No terminal? No problem! Kulhudhuffushi airport begins operations

There is no air traffic control tower and no terminal building but operations are under way at Kulhuduffushi airport, local media reported.

Aviation officers wait for passengers in a ‘building’ that has a roof but no walls, according to Mihaaru, and manually inspect bags because there is no scanning equipment. A photo from the newspaper shows security procedures also being carried out in the open-air, on sand.

An airport for Kulhudhuffushi, a northern population hub, was a pledge from President Abdulla Yameen in his 2013 election campaign.

A test flight landed last Wednesday on the newly built airstrip, two days after the contractor finished laying tar on the runway.

The chartered Maldivian airline flight that afternoon carried guests including Tourism Minister Moosa Zameer and ruling party MP Ahmed Nihan.

Despite the VIP trip and a soggy speech from Yameen ahead of the September 23 presidential election, joint opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih took most of the island’s votes.

Photo: Mihaaru