The Maldives government launched a massive expansion project of Hanimaadhoo International Airport on Wednesday evening, 18th January.
The project was inaugurated by the Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and the visiting Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
The expansion project includes the development of a 2.46-kilometer runway along with the development of a new terminal building. The new terminal structure will reportedly have the capacity to accommodate 1.3 million annual travelers. The new runway will be capable to handle larger commercial aircraft like the Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s.
The government contracted India’s JMC Projects, while the project is funded through a USD 136 million (MVR 2.1 billion) loan from EXIM Bank, India.