Air transportation is critical for economic development in the Maldives, an archipelago country in southeast Asia that relies on tourism. The airport is the only air gateway for international passengers and air cargo in the country, so the project to expand and improve it has particular importance.

The project includes a new runway, apron, cargo terminal, fuel farm and fuel hydrant system. The airport remained in service during the project period, and there had to be continuous off-peak construction and limited work hours, with work on the new runway permitted only from midnight to 5:30 a.m.