Hanimaadhoo Airport Requires Redevelopment to Handle Wide-Body Aircraft, Aviation Minister Says

Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Ameen has said Hanimaadhoo International Airport is not designed to accommodate large long-haul aircraft and would require further redevelopment to support wide-body operations.

The minister made the remarks while responding to a question from Hanimaadhoo MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa during yesterday’s sitting of Parliament.

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Minister Ameen said the airport’s current infrastructure limits the types of aircraft that can operate from the facility. He noted that larger aircraft such as the Airbus A330, Airbus A340 and Boeing 777 would not be able to land at Hanimaadhoo under the existing design.

He added that direct flights using wide-body aircraft from destinations such as China or Colombo would not be possible without further redevelopment of the airport.

The redevelopment of Hanimaadhoo International Airport began in January 2023 under a USD 136 million line of credit from India’s Exim Bank. The upgraded airport was designed with a 2.46-kilometre runway capable of accommodating narrow-body aircraft, including the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737.

The airport’s new two-storey terminal has an annual passenger capacity of 1.3 million and includes facilities such as check-in counters, duty-free shops and a cargo terminal.

Minister Ameen said the airport was developed to serve smaller aircraft, despite the expansion of its facilities. Prior to the redevelopment, the airport, which was originally built 39 years ago, was only capable of handling ATR and Dash-8 aircraft due to runway limitations.

Following the completion of the modernisation project, Hanimaadhoo International Airport was reopened with upgraded facilities aimed at improving regional connectivity.