State government has decided to fully fund the development of the airports planned at Haa Dhaal Kulhudhuffushi, and Shaviyani atoll Fonadhoo. Both airports would be developed through state budget funding. Initially, the development of both airports was assigned to Griffin Malaysia. However, the corporation failed to produce financing for the projects which resulted in the project rights reverting back to the State. Griffin had been assigned the development of the two northern airports as well as a few others in the country. Director General of Regional Airports, Saamee Ageel, has confirmed that the land reclamation work for both Kulhudhuffushi and Fonadhoo has been assigned to Maldives Transport & Contracting Company (MTCC) while the State will be fully handling the financing of the two airports. Meanwhile, MTCC's Chief Executive Ibrahim Ziyath has said the first project the company's monolithic hopper-suction dredger would engage in would be the reclamation of 15 hectares of land at Kulhudhuffushi for airport development there. He forecast an estimate of MVR 53.4 million as income from the project while he has affirmed a 180-day period for completion. The 92.95-meter hopper suction dredger is 16.30 m wide, and the vessel is capable of dredging sand from 50 m below sea level. -- Other airports for development included Faafu atoll Nilandhoo, Gaaf Dhaal Faresmaathodaa and Gaaf Dhaal Maavarulu (recently inaugurated with an 1,800-m runway and claimed to be among the best constructed regional airports in the country), all of which originally went to Griffin Malaysia. However, since the agreement had been terminated, the State had been seeking new contractors for the projects. The current government has assured work to start on nine new airports which include the mentioned sites as well as Lhaviyani atoll Felivaru, Raa atoll Fainu, Noonu atoll Maafaru, and Haa Alif atoll Maafinolhu. #1060.17