Hoarafushi, Maldives – President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has arrived in Haa Alif. Hoarafushi, which is among the northern most islands in the Maldives, where he was greeted by the islands in a warm welcome with traditional festivities.
The President’s trip to the island is to attend the opening ceremony of the newly established airport in the island to be held at 16:00, which was initially scheduled for Tuesday, but postponed to Thursday due to poor weather conditions.
The celebrations are expected to continue to the night, with fireworks to be displayed starting from 20:30.
Although the opening ceremony was delayed, a test flight was operated on Tuesday, which saw Maldivian, the national carrier of the Maldives landing on the airport’s runway. Following the opening of the airport, scheduled flights are expected to commence within a weeks time, revealed the Transport Ministry.
The airport development project of Hoarafushi started in 2019, on the 25th of March, which saw a portion of the island’s lagoon being reclaimed for the purpose. Since then the airport has been established, with a run way 1,200 meters long and 35 meters wide, and an apron of 86.35 square meters.
The project was initially intended for the island of Maafinolhu, which is also located in the same atoll. However, the administration of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih relocated the airport to Hoarafushi since coming to power.
