Hanimaadhoo Airport's new apron opens
At the end of the entire project, the runway will be able to accommodate A320s and Boeing 737s.
By
Ahmed Mizyal
The new apron at Hanimaadhoo International Airport has been completed and put into operation.
The Hanimaadhoo airport project, which is being developed under a USD 136.6 million (MVR 2.1 billion) loan from Exim Bank of India, began operations on October 22, 2022. The project also includes a new runway and a modern terminal.
The Regional Airports Company Limited (RACL), which operates Hanimaadhoo Airport, has closed its old apron and started using the new one.
The new runway was officially put into use with the Maldivian flight that landed on Sunday morning.
RACL Managing Director Ahmed Mubeen said the apron was not part of the Hanimaadhoo airport development project originally. This, he said, was done under the direction of President Mohammed Muizzu to enable the company to increase its revenue immediately.
According to RACL:
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The new apron is 42,000 square feet
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The apron will be marketed as a jet parking facility
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The new apron will accommodate six jets at a time
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The area will be used as an isolation bay when the airport development project is completed
At the end of the entire project:
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The runway will be able to accommodate A320s and Boeing 737s
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Can serve 1.3 million passengers per year
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Oil storage will be provided
The previous government in August 2023 took journalists there to show the progress of the Hanimaadhoo airport project.
The then RACL management and contractors said they were working on the new apron and two taxiways by December 2023.
However, RACL now says this is not the same apron.
