Nasheed urges Hanimaadhoo Airport as regional airline hub

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has stated today that it would be in the best interests to make Hanimaadhoo International Airport a hub for a regional airline. 

In a post on X, Nasheed said that Maldives will benefit more if the airport is made the hub for a regional airline, and the airport is operated by that airline. 

This, he said, would pave the path for development across the northern atolls. 

Nasheed's comments followed reports on India's The Hindu news outlet, which claimed that the government had appealed to India for assistance in operating the Hanimaadhoo International Airport, which was developed with USD 126 million (MVR 2 billion) from India's USD 900 million line of credit facility. 

While these reports on Indian media led to heavy criticism against the government, Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen rejected the claims today, asserting that no foreign parties will be brought in to operate any airports in the country. 

The minister stated that all airports in the country are operated by local operators approved by the Maldives Civil Aviation. He assured that the government's policy does not include operating airports in any other way.   

Reports in The Hindu claim that President Dr Mohamed Muizzu had appealed to the Indian government to operate the Hanimaadhoo International Airport, which was opened in November last year. They said that related research is being undertaken by the Indian Airports Authority (AAI). 

India's AAI manages airports operated in 26 Indian States, some of which are operated by GMR, Adani and other companies. Earlier during President Mohamed Nasheed's administration, operation of Velana International Airport (VIA) was contracted to GMR. 

During Nasheed's administration, operation of VIA was contracted to GMR for 25 years on June 28, 2010. This led to widespread protests in the country. 

After Nasheed stepped down in 2012, former President Dr Mohamed Waheed who then assumed office cancelled the agreement with GMR on November 26, 2012. 

The cancellation of the contract led to USD 270 million having to be paid in compensation. Then opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) led strong action against GMR's operation of VIA at the time.

The Hindu's report states that ten years after the GMR contract was cancelled, Maldives is once again seeking Indian assistance to operate an airport.   

The re-developed Hanimaadhoo International Airport was inaugurated in November last year. The airport's design reflects Maldives' natural beauty and culture, and is equipped with a modern terminal and a runway that accommodates the largest aircraft. It was one of the largest airport development projects conducted in the Maldives, and was developed through loan aid from India. 

The airport also has space for the parking of 15 jets at a time. 

The airport now has a 2.7km runway and has a terminal that can serve 1.3 million passengers annually. It also has aerobridges, an expansive duty free area, lounges, an air traffic control tower, cargo buildings, a fuel farm and a seaplane jetty.