Foreign minister Abdulla Shahid has said that the opposition presidential candidate Dr. Mohamed Muizzu will stop the Hanimaadhoo International Airport project if he wins the September 9 election.
Speaking during a campaign rally in Haa Dhaal Makunudhoo on Sunday night, Shahid said around 1.5 million tourists are expected to arrive at Hanimadhoo airport annually when the expansion project is complete.
He said it would bring direct benefits to all the islands in that region including Makunudhoo. Shahid noted that the biggest concern is that the opposition candidate could stop the project if he comes to power.
"The opposition candidate's plan does not include the continuation of Hanimaadhoo airport project. We are getting information about it," the foreign minister claimed.
Shahid alleged that the opposition plans to immediately halt the project and send the foreign workers home after coming to power. He said the reason for the plan is that the workers belong to a particular country.
"Who will become poorer? Who will suffer? This region. The 40 islands and one city in this region will be pushed back again. Forgotten, discarded and destitute," he warned.
The Hanimaadhoo International Airport project was officially launched in January last year.
Hanimaadhoo airport.
The airport, which can accommodate 1.3 million passengers annually, is being developed at a cost of USD 136.6 million. The airport will have a 2.46-kilometer (2,460-metre) runway, a modern terminal and other facilities.
Once the project is complete, Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft used for international flights can land in Hanimaadhoo. The airport will also be able to operate direct flights from the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Africa to Hanimaadhoo.
