Hoarafushi, Maldives – The newly developed airport at Haa Alif. Hoarafushi, an island located in the southern most atoll of the Maldives, has officially been opened by the President of the country, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
Marking the President’s first trip to an inhibited island in over nine months, he captured the touch down of the flight he traveled from Male’ to Hoarafushi, and posted it on Twitter captioned, “Just landed in Hoarafushi”.
A test flight was operated on Tuesday, which saw Maldivian, the national carrier of the Maldives landing on the airport’s runway for the first time. 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.
