Posted on January 5, 2026
The dredger required to begin land reclamation for the development of an airport and related infrastructure in HA. Dhidhdhoo arrived on the island yesterday.
Dhidhdhoo Council stated that the dredger, which will be used to reclaim the western lagoon, docked on Saturday afternoon, with dredging work scheduled to commence on Monday. The reclamation is expected to be completed within two to three months, subject to conditions on site, as parts of the lagoon reach depths of up to five metres.
The land reclamation is being carried out by Maldives Airports Company Limited and will add 110 hectares of land to Dhidhdhoo to facilitate the construction of the airport and associated facilities.
During a visit to the island in late January last year, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu described the Dhidhdhoo Airport project as a key element of his administration’s regional development policy. He stated that dredging would be completed swiftly and that construction of the airport would progress at a rapid pace, with the intention of returning to the island to inaugurate the airport’s first flight.
The airport project was awarded to Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) on April 19, 2024, at a cost of MVR 257.21 million. However, practical construction work has yet to begin.
The Ministry of Transport later requested Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee to investigate the delay. The Ministry of Construction also informed the committee that the project had not been awarded on a contractor-financing basis and confirmed that, although MTCC had been contracted for dredging and beach protection works on April 19, 2024, no feasibility study had been conducted.
Dhidhdhoo currently depends on Hanimaadhoo International Airport for air travel, with the journey between the two islands taking approximately 15 minutes by boat.
