India-funded airport opened in Maldives

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu and India's Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu jointly inaugurated the Hanimaadhoo International Airport, a project completed with India's financial assistance.In his address at the inauguration ceremony on Sunday, Muizzu described the airport as a "catalyst for unlocking the potential of the northern Maldives and enhancing global connectivity", according to a statement by the President's Office.

Calling it a “gateway to prosperity” for the north, he said, “This is not just an airport, it is a symbol of economic transformation." Muizzu said that the newly opened airport would bring further advancement to tourism, agriculture, fisheries, and the economy, as well as social development to the north.

Muizzu said the airport serves as a monument that testifies to the strength of Maldives-India ties as the countries mark 60 years of diplomatic relations this year.

In an X post, the Indian High Commission in the Maldives called the airport a "true vehicle for progress and prosperity, and a symbol of India's commitment under Neighbourhood First and MAHASAGAR vision".

The airport's development is funded by a USD 800 million line of credit issued by EXIM Bank, India, under an agreement executed between the Maldivian Government and the bank in 2019.

The development of Hanimaadhoo International Airport was contracted to India's JMC Projects for USD 136.6 million, it said, adding that the airport will help improve tourism in northern atolls.

Meanwhile, main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party chief Abdulla Shahid, who served as the Foreign Minister in the last MDP administration, thanked former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, whose administration initiated the project, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government and people of India for their generous assistance.

Shahid noted that President Muizzu and his colleagues, while in opposition, had criticised the project, even labelling it as an “Indian military initiative”.

“Construction workers were falsely called Indian soldiers, fuelling a dangerous nationalist narrative. Every Indian supported project was politicised to inflame anti-India sentiment, turning international cooperation into a political weapon,” he stressed.

"Yet, in a striking twist of fate, President Muizzu has now inaugurated the very project his campaign once vilified - a project made possible by the same partners his government sought to demonise," he added.

Originally built 39 years ago, Hanimaadhoo Airport previously accommodated only smaller aircraft such as ATRs and Dash-8s, Sun.mv news reported.

The new airport will support operations for Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft and can handle 1.3 million passengers annually.

Naidu also met Maldives' Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Abdulla Khaleel here, with both reaffirming commitment to strengthening bilateral relations.

During the meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Khaleel expressed gratitude for the continued support extended to the Maldives by India.