Regional Airports Company Limited (RACL) has stated that the use of the new runway at Hanimaadhoo International Airport has been postponed due to the transition of government.
The Hanimaadhoo International Airport development project commenced at the beginning of the year. The contractor was scheduled to complete part of the new runway and temporarily open it for domestic flights. The existing runway and terminal will then be removed and the area will be developed under the project.
RACL initially made the decision to temporarily begin operations using the new runway in September once 1,400m of it was developed. Managing Director Mohamed Rizvi has now informed that the new runway has been developed enough to commence temporary operations but the decision has been put on hold during the transition process after considering that the new government might have further stipulations.
The Hanimaadhoo International Airport development project 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.
The project includes the development of 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. The project will be completed in 2024 and international flights will start operating directly to the north of the Maldives.