Kulhudhuffushi Airport in Darkness for a Year, No Solution So Far

The residents of Kulhudhuffushi City have expressed their concern that Kulhudhuffushi’s airport cannot be used for night-flights due to the lack of a lighting system.

The MDP is currently running broadcasted web conferences with local campaign teams in preparation for the upcoming Local Council Elections. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and the Majlis Speaker, Mohamed Nasheed, participate in these nightly web conferences.

A resident of Kulhudhuffushi City mentioned that people who had to be emergency-airlifted to Malé could not be taken from Kulhudhuffushi as its airport was not equipped for night-flights. Such people had to be transported on sea to Hanimaadhoo, where they could then be transported to Malé. The resident asked President Solih when a sufficient light system would be installed at the airport to allow for such night-flights.

President Solih responded that the procurement of such a lighting system has been put out to tender, and the evaluation of bidders is currently underway.

The project had been put to tender on 9 January 2020. The evaluation of the bidders for a government tender does not take one year to complete. By all appearances, the tender and all work pertaining to it had come to a complete halt.

However, President Solih assured the questioner last night that the lights would be installer very soon.

The airport in Kulhudhuffushi City had been built by President Yameen Abdul Gayyoom. He was able to see the completion of the runway to a usable state by the end of his term. President Solih’s party, the MDP, had vehemently objected to the construction of the airport.