Hanimaadhoo Airport’s new runway will be operational next month

The first 1,400 meters of the new runway made under the development project at Hanimaadhoo International Airport will be operational next month, the Regional Airports Company (RACL) which operates the airport has said.

As per the development project of Hanimaadhoo International Airport, the new 2.7-kilometre runway is designed to intersect and join the runway that is currently in operation.

However, the new runway is being constructed in three phases to ensure the continuity of airport operations without any hindrance.

Journalists were shown the progress of the airport project yesterday, the site engineer, Inder Singh, said on behalf of the Indian company in charge of the project, JMC, that the part that's scheduled to be completed first is the 1400 meter area south of the intersection between the new and current runway.

Work on that area will be completed by the first week of next month, after which the junction of the two runways will be closed off and flights will be operating temporarily from the newly constructed area, he said.

The existing runway will then be removed, the new runway will be developed from the other side to the middle and the entire runway will be connected, he said.

“A small part of the current runway is coming up on this runway in the middle. We have divided the work into three phases to continue without interrupting flight operations. Then, once this section is completed, flights will operate from this side, while the work will continue at the closure and the entire runway will be completed,” Inder Singh said.

He further said that the current runway has a lot of wear and is very old so it will be completely demolished.

On the progress of the work, Inder said the runway work is progressing on schedule and the entire runway will be completed by November.

RACL’s COO Ahmed Ibrahim said the entire runway will be completed and used with a temporary terminal. He highlighted that there are a number of resorts in the area and many people have requested to continue the work without closing the airport and also said that the flights will be operated from 2 pm to 2 am every day.

“Based on the feedback from the resorts, we spoke to the Ministry of Economic Affairs to continue the work without closure. Then operate flights from 2 to 2, and work on the runway for the other 12 hours. That's also a challenge. But as the contractor mentioned, there will be no challenge to meet our deadline to complete this project,” Ahmed Ibrahim said.

The runway will have a total length of 2765 meters including the runway end safety area. It is a runway that can accommodate the largest aircraft, such as the A320 and Boeing 737.

The Hanimaadhoo International Airport development project is currently underway with the construction of the airport terminal, jetty and other buildings along with the runway. These include the jetty terminal building, ATC tower, cargo complex, power substation, watch tower and MNDF plot building.

The total cost of the project is $136 million. This project is being undertaken as part of the Indian Line of Credit. In October last year, the project was awarded to JMC to be finished within two years.

The Hanimaadhoo International Airport project, which is linked to the development of the north, will boost tourism and create job opportunities in the region, the regional airport company said.