A new era for the Maldives’ northern atolls began on Sunday evening as President Dr Mohamed Muizzu inaugurated the redeveloped Hanimaadhoo International Airport, unveiling a striking manta ray–inspired terminal that promises to reshape the country’s economic geography.
For decades, the story of Maldivian growth has been told largely through the lens of Malé and the southern resort chains. Now, the government is betting that the newly modernised Hanimaadhoo — the largest airport in the northern atolls — can serve as a gateway for investment, tourism, and long-term regional balance.
The opening ceremony, attended by senior officials from both the Maldivian and Indian governments, combined symbolism and spectacle. A Maldivian A320 made the first official landing on the new 2.7-kilometre runway, followed by a fireworks display that lit up the island sky. Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, India’s Civil Aviation Minister and Special Envoy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, joined the event alongside government ministers and top executives from the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).
Standing before the terminal’s sweeping glass façade, President Muizzu described the reopening as “a gateway for development” — not merely an infrastructural milestone, but a foundation for a new phase of decentralised growth.
“This is the time to expand local businesses to the northern atolls,” he said. “Hanimaadhoo Airport presents a golden opportunity for tourism, agriculture, fisheries and the wider economy.”
The US$136 million redevelopment, financed through India’s Exim Bank under a broader US$800 million line of credit, features a new terminal capable of handling 1.3 million passengers annually, cargo and fuel facilities, and an upgraded runway that can accommodate large aircraft. The project was developed by India’s Kalpataru Projects, with the intention of positioning Hanimaadhoo as a regional aviation and trade hub.
The airport’s sleek, manta ray–inspired design pays homage to the Maldives’ marine environment and cultural identity. For President Muizzu, it also represents the future: a tangible step towards narrowing the developmental gap between the capital and the country’s northern reaches.
He used the occasion to reiterate his integrated development zones policy — a campaign pledge aimed at distributing investment across four major regions of the archipelago. “Hanimaadhoo will drive growth in tourism, agriculture, fisheries, and the economy of the north,” he said, urging local entrepreneurs and foreign investors alike to “make use of the opportunity at this time.”
The President acknowledged the current limitations in northern tourism, but promised that work was already underway with the Maldives Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) to revitalise stalled projects. He announced that the HDh Naagoashi resort — leased for tourism development 17 years ago but never completed — would open next year. “This will mark the start of tourism expansion in the northern atolls,” he said.
From the Indian delegation, Minister Naidu described Hanimaadhoo as “a monument to friendship” and a symbol of the six decades of diplomatic ties between the two countries. “This is not merely an infrastructure project; it is an architectural marvel inspired by the Maldives’ natural grace,” he said.
Naidu placed the project within the framework of India’s Neighbourhood First Policy, which prioritises development cooperation in South Asia. “It strengthens connectivity between northern Maldives, India and the wider world,” he noted, adding that under the leadership of President Muizzu and Prime Minister Modi, the relationship between the two nations has evolved into “true multi-dimensional cooperation.”
For MACL Managing Director Ibrahim Mohamed Shareef, the project’s completion is as much a story of speed as of vision. He revealed that when the current administration took office in November 2023, the redevelopment was only 30 per cent complete. Within a year, that figure had risen to 72 per cent.
“Handing over Hanimaadhoo Airport to MACL is like giving us the key to northern development,” he said. “We will build a much happier future with this jewel — a larger and more joyful Thiladhunmathi.”
Shareef praised the collaborative effort between the Maldivian and Indian teams, crediting the government for expediting construction to ensure early operations. “President Muizzu assisted in the progression of so many things in such a short time,” he said.
For many residents of Hanimaadhoo, the airport’s reopening represents both hope and homecoming. The islanders welcomed the President and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed with fanfare and traditional music, viewing the project as a symbol of inclusion for a region that has long felt distant from the capital’s opportunities.
The ceremony concluded with a sense of both pride and purpose. As the crowd dispersed beneath the glow of fireworks and floodlights, the broader message lingered: that the Maldives’ future prosperity depends not only on its luxury resorts and coral atolls, but on its ability to extend progress across its scattered islands.
Hanimaadhoo International Airport now stands as the tangible expression of that ambition — an architectural statement of policy and partnership, built on shared credit, shared history, and a shared belief that growth can be more evenly spread across the nation’s horizon.
