President inaugurates Hoarafushi Airport

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has inaugurated the domestic airport developed in Hoarafushi, a residential island in H. A. Atoll.

President’s visit to Hoarafushi to open the airport marks his first trip outside of the greater Male’ region in approximately nine months.

The President was accompanied in the visit by Transport Minister Aishath Nahula, who has stated that scheduled operations will begin at the airport within a week after it’s opened.

The national airline, Maldivian has stated that scheduled operations will begin on November 26, and will conduct three weekly flights to the island.

Maldivian conducted a successful test flight to the Hoarafushi Airport on November 16, and the airport was originally scheduled to be opened on November 17, but was postponed due to bad weather.

The Hoarafushi Airport was developed by Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) and is the biggest infrastructure development project completed by the current administration.

The airport was developed with a 1.2 kilometer runway, an 8,635 square meter apron, a taxiway, service roads, a 9,473 square meter parking area and a 1,718 square meter fire access road.

The former administration had planned on developing an airport in H. A. Maafinolhu. However, the current administration, after it came to power, decided to change the location of the airport to Hoarafushi.

345,000 square meters of land was reclaimed from the Hoarafushi lagoon for the project.