President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced that the physical work on the international airport to be developed in G.Dh. Thinadhoo will commence in the middle of this year.

The President made this statement while responding to a question from a journalist during a press conference held at the President's Office today.

The President acknowledged that the progress of the airport project has not met his desired speed, noting that there were delays during the agreement drafting stage.

Explaining the reasons for the delay, the President stated that the Huvadhu Atoll International Airport is a project where the state incurs no expenditure; instead, it is being fully funded by the investor under a business-viable and feasible model.

"However, that stage has now reached its conclusion. We are currently working toward very realistic targets. God willing, it is now very realistic to expect the commencement of physical work by the middle of this year," the President remarked.

The contract for the construction of the Thinadhoo International Airport was awarded to Pan Pacific in February 2024. At that time, the President had stated that the airport would be completed within two years.

The government's policy for this project involves reclaiming at least 50 additional hectares of land adjacent to the existing reclaimed area in Thinadhoo to develop an international airport featuring a four-kilometer runway.