Hanimaadhoo Airport's runway has been officially opened for flights after the completion of 1,200m of the 2,460m runway project.

Regional Airports Company (RACL) said in a statement that the first flight landed on the new runway on Thursday morning to formally open and use 1,200 metres of the runway.

RaCL Managing Director Mohamed Mubeen and Island Aviation Deputy Managing Director Ali Saleem travelled on the same flight to attend the runway opening ceremony.

According to the company, the work on the runway is going on as per schedule and if the work continues, the rest of the runway will be completed by March- end.

"With the opening of the new runway at Hanimaadhoo airport, Indian flights that have already been suspended will resume without much delay," Saleem said.

The new runway was opened after lights were installed on the runway so that flights could land even at night. The new runway is being developed in three segments, which are planned to serve the people without closing the airport and runway as well.

The Hanimaadhoo international airport development project was started on January 18 2023, under a credit line signed between Exim Bank of India and the Government of Maldives in 2019, under which a new runway of 2.46km and a terminal with a capacity to accommodate 1.3 million passengers per annum will be constructed.

Once the Hanimaadhoo International Airport is developed, airbus A320s and Boeing 737s used in international flights will be able to operate, according to the government.