Saeed: Hanimaadhoo Airport will drive northern growth

Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed has described the newly inaugurated Hanimaadhoo International Airport (HIA) as a transformative development hub for the northern Maldives, saying it will serve as a pillar of progress for the region.

Speaking to state media following Sunday evening’s inauguration ceremony, Saeed said the airport’s redevelopment was a key component of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s manifesto to accelerate development in Boduthiladhummathi.

“This move will make the airport a major development hub in the north,” Saeed said. “So hopefully the north, especially the Hanimaadhoo area, will be a very prosperous area in the future.”

The ceremony was attended by President Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed, who arrived aboard an Airbus A320, the largest aircraft to land at Hanimaadhoo to date. Indian Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, representing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also joined the event.

Saeed noted that the airport features a high-value terminal and modern infrastructure designed to support international operations. The President, in his address, called Hanimaadhoo Airport a “golden opportunity” for Maldivian entrepreneurs and urged both local and foreign investors to invest in Boduthiladhummathi.

He emphasized that the airport’s modernization is not only linked to regional development but also to national economic growth. The new facility is expected to boost tourism, trade, and connectivity across the northern atolls.

The upgraded airport includes a 2,465-metre runway capable of handling narrow-body aircraft, a 10,300-square-metre terminal designed to serve 1.3 million passengers annually, a fuel farm, cargo terminal, and the Maldives’ first aerobridge at an atoll airport. It also features art installations by Maldivian artists and newly launched ATM and dollar counter services to support international travellers.