Commencement of night flights to Kulhudhuffushi airport set in motion with test flight

  • Maldives
  • Travel
PUBLISHED 14 May 2023

Kulhudhuffushi Airport is preparing to operate around the clock, both during the day and at night, in order to meet the growing demand for flights.


As the development work at Hanimaadhoo International Airport progresses, night flights to Kulhudhuffushi Airport will commence since Hanimaadhoo Airport will soon be closed temporarily.


Currently, Hanimaadhoo Airport is closed daily from 14:00 to 02:00 due to ongoing construction activities. Consequently, international flights to Trivandrum, India from Hanimaadhoo have been suspended since March.


To facilitate night operations, runway lights have been installed at Kulhudhuffushi Airport, and a successful test flight was conducted by the national carrier, Maldivian.


The development project at Hanimaadhoo International Airport includes the construction of a passenger terminal, cargo terminal, fuel farm, and fire-fighting facility, with a total cost of USD 136 million. Additionally, the existing runway will be extended to 2,400 meters to accommodate larger aircraft such as the Airbus 320 and the Boeing 737. Once completed, the airport will have the capacity to handle 1.3 million passengers annually and will be able to accommodate narrow-body jets.