The land reclamation work required for the construction of an airport in Milandhoo, Shaviyani Atoll has been completed in just one month, marking a significant milestone in the region’s infrastructure development. This will be the fourth airport to be developed in Shaviyani Atoll.
Reclamation Completed Within One Month
In a post on X, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu announced that the entire reclamation needed for the airport was completed within 31 days. The reclamation work commenced on 3 April 2026 and concluded on 4 May 2026, achieving 100 percent completion of the targeted area.
A total of 21 hectares of land was reclaimed for the airport project, with the work carried out using the dredger Queen of the Netherlands, which has a capacity of 35,000 cubic metres. The total volume of material moved during the reclamation amounted to 1,134,534 cubic metres.
According to the President, the overall project requires 25.90 hectares of land. As part of site preparation, trees were cleared from a 4.9-hectare section of the existing island where the airport will be constructed.
Delivering on a Key Presidential Pledge
The physical works on the Milandhoo Airport project began on 15 October last year, during a visit by President Muizzu to the atoll. The airport contract has been awarded to Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), with a target completion period of two and a half years.
Milandhoo, which is home to a population of more than 2,000 people, was the focus of one of President Muizzu’s most significant pledges during the presidential election campaign, when he promised to deliver the airport that residents had long called for.
In earlier meetings with the people of Milandhoo, the President explained that work on the airport began only after thorough consultations to determine the most beneficial approach for the island. The site selected for the airport was chosen with careful consideration of how best to utilise Milandhoo’s available land.
The President also noted that constructing the airport requires relocating the existing harbour to a new site. As such, the airport project was awarded to MACL with the harbour relocation work included in the scope.
Expanding Air Connectivity Across Shaviyani Atoll
Shaviyani Atoll already has an existing airport in Funadhoo, while development work is also underway on airports in Bilehffahi and Komandoo, further expanding the atoll’s air connectivity.
