Land reclamation for the new airport in Milandhoo, Shaviyani Atoll, has wrapped up, marking a key milestone in one of the government’s flagship regional connectivity projects.
The Milandhoo airport reclamation project ran for 31 days, with Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) executing the dredging works that began on April 3, 2026.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu confirmed the completion in a social media post on May 4, 2026. Crews reclaimed 21 hectares within the month-long window. An additional 4.9 hectares will join the footprint once tree clearance wraps up, lifting the total project area to 25.9 hectares.
The dredging operation moved 1,135,534 cubic metres of sand. Contractors used Boskalis’ Queen of the Netherlands dredger to deliver the volume, a vessel with a 35,000-cubic-metre hopper capacity. Consequently, the project clocked one of the fastest reclamation runs of its scale on a regional airport site.
The Milandhoo airport reclamation project anchors a presidential pledge to deliver an airport for the island, which houses a resident population of over 2,700. President Muizzu has committed to completing the airport within his current term. MACL took on both the airport and harbour reclamation mandates in October 2025, with practical works scheduled to finish within an eight-month window.
The government routed the contract to MACL to lock in efficient land use across both short and long horizons. Meanwhile, the existing harbour area is shifting to a temporary location to make room for airport construction. The development’s master design already accounts for that interim location. The Milandhoo airport reclamation project therefore sets the stage for the next phase of works, with airside and landside infrastructure builds expected to follow.