Hanimaadhoo International Airport was not designed to accommodate wide-body aircraft and would need to be redeveloped before such operations could be introduced, Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen has said.

The minister made the remarks in Parliament while responding to a question from Hanimaadhoo Member of Parliament Abdul Ghafoor Moosa on whether the Government would consider operating the national airline's wide-body aircraft from the airport to destinations including China. Minister Ameen said the airport was developed to cater to narrow-body aircraft and is therefore unable to support wide-body operations or direct long-haul services in its current configuration.

He added that introducing wide-body aircraft operations at Hanimaadhoo would require further redevelopment of the airport, as it was not built to handle aircraft such as the Airbus A380 or Boeing 747.

The Hanimaadhoo International Airport redevelopment project was carried out at a cost of USD 136.1 million under the USD 800 million Line of Credit extended to the Maldives by the Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank). The project included the construction of a 2.46-kilometre runway and a modern passenger terminal.

When President Dr Mohamed Muizzu assumed office, around 30 per cent of the project had been completed. The remaining work was completed under the current Administration before the airport officially opened in November 2025.

Hanimaadhoo is the Maldives' newest international airport. While it currently serves narrow-body aircraft operations, Addu International Airport is capable of accommodating wide-body aircraft.