Minister of Economic Development Fayyaz Ismail has said the development of the Hanimaadhoo International Airport is not only for the purpose of transportation but also for the economic and social development of the northernmost atolls. He made the remarks speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the development of Hanimaadhoo International Airport.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Fayyaz said a country can only be developed by taking loans and by managing debt. He said progress can be made by increasing income instead of waiting for income to be generated. He said the development of Hanimaadhoo International Airport has been a dream of the people of the north for the past 33 years, adding no previous government made any efforts to actually modernise the airport to international standards.
Furthermore, Minister Fayyaz said there was a lot of criticism for starting such a large project outside the Greater Male' Region. He said in particular questions are being raised about whether the government can benefit from spending on such a huge project. He, however, said the project was long overdue and it should start from somewhere.
The completion of the project is a great encouragement to businesses in their efforts to introduce 8,000 beds for tourism in the north, Minister Fayyaz said, adding the lack of a permanent transport system has also made people reluctant to invest in tourism and resorts in the region. He said the project will change the landscape of the entire north.
The largest project to be conducted in the north of the country is being funded by loan assistance from the EXIM Bank of India and includes major infrastructure and operational upgrades and building infrastructure to meet the future growth of traffic to the Maldives. The project was awarded to India-based JMC Projects Limited in September 2022 at a cost of USD136 million. It includes developing a 2.46km runway to enable larger aircraft such as Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s to land at the airport. It also includes the construction of a modern terminal to accommodate 1.3 million passengers annually, as well as the construction of a cargo terminal, fuel farms, and a fire station.
Hanimaadhoo International Airport is located on the island of Hanimaadhoo in Haa Dhaalu Atoll. The airport was upgraded in 2012 to cater to international flights.