The Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has announced that the new passenger terminal at Hanimaadhoo International Airport will be officially inaugurated on 9 November, marking a major milestone in the northern region’s aviation infrastructure development.
MACL Managing Director Ibrahim Shareef Mohamed confirmed that final preparations are underway for the opening, adding that airport operations will transition to the new terminal earlier this month to allow for the demolition of the existing terminal. “We will begin operations from the new terminal this month, and the old terminal will then be demolished,” Shareef said in a statement to local media.
A stakeholder meeting was held on Sunday to brief government agencies and partners on operational arrangements ahead of the opening.
The Hanimaadhoo Airport development, financed through an Indian line of credit and undertaken by Kalpataru Projects, is one of the Maldives’ largest airport infrastructure projects to date. The project includes a 2.7-kilometre runway capable of accommodating larger aircraft, a new terminal designed to handle up to 1.3 million passengers annually, an air traffic control tower, cargo facilities, and a modern fuel farm.
Valued at USD 136 million (approximately MVR 2 billion), the project forms part of India’s USD 800 million Exim Bank line of credit extended to the Maldives. It was initiated during the administration of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih as part of broader efforts to enhance regional connectivity and economic growth in the north.
Once operational, the upgraded Hanimaadhoo International Airport is expected to significantly improve air connectivity between the Maldives and key destinations, while supporting tourism and trade across the northern atolls.
