Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen has confirmed the Hanimaadhoo International Airport project is progressing as scheduled. He made the statement after visiting the airport on Saturday to inspect the progress of the ongoing works.
The redevelopment project, managed by Regional Airports Company Limited (RACL), was launched in January 2023. According to RACL's Managing Director Ahmed Mubeen, the development of Hanimaadhoo International Airport is expected to be completed by March 2025. The new runway's development is fully completed and set to open for operations on June 23.
The airport development includes the construction of a 2.46km runway, enabling larger aircraft such as Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s to land. The first step was establishing a new 2,465m runway. Due to land constraints, only 1,200 meters of the new runway and the previous runway were put into operation on January 28, 2024, after the completion of the initial phase. With the remaining 1,200 meters now completed, efforts are underway to prepare the runway for flight operations.
RACL has stated that all final preparations are ongoing to officially open the airport. Once fully developed, the airport will have the capacity to cater to 1.5 million passengers annually and operate 24 hours a day.
The Hanimaadhoo International Airport development is closely linked with the tourism industry and the economy of the atoll, promising significant regional benefits upon completion.