Velana International Airport (VIA)’s newly developed runway will be used as a taxiway starting tomorrow.
According to Maldives Airport Company Limited (MACL), they have decided to use the new runway as a taxiway since it cannot be used as a normal runway due to the old seaplane terminal building being too close. The runway can only be used after destroying the old seaplane terminal building.
Moreover, MACL has asked to shift all services from the old seaplane terminal to the new terminal by April.
The taxiway provides access from the runways to the terminal area and service hangars. This is the main function of the taxiway. In busy airports, the pavement adjacent to the end of the runway is termed as a holding apron and also sometimes termed as warm up pads and run up pads. This will help to minimize the time needed to clear the main runway.