Male’, Maldives – It has been revealed that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will be traveling to Haa Alif Hoarafushi, located up north of the Maldives, to attend the airport opening ceremony of the island.
The ceremony was initially scheduled for Tuesday, however, had to be postponed due to poor weather. With the ceremony rescheduled for Thursday, President Solih is reported to reach the island by 13:00 in the afternoon.
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.
No further details have been revealed on the President’s trip and who will be accompanying the President on the trip. Interestingly, the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Aishath Nahula is from the island. However, her presence has not yet been confirmed by any official sources.
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.
