News Desk
The Maldives Airports Company Limited has completed dredging 63 hectares of land under the Dihdhoo land‑reclamation project, marking more than half of the work required for one of the largest development efforts in the region. The project began on January 5 and aims to reclaim a total of 112 hectares for airport construction and new housing.
MACL told PSM News that the completed portion represents 56.25 percent of the overall project. The dredging is being carried out using one of the world’s largest trailing suction hopper dredgers, the Leiv Eriksson, which has a capacity of 46,000 cubic metres.
Dihdhoo, the capital of Haa Alif Atoll, has a registered population of about 5,000. The number rises to nearly 7,000 when residents from nearby islands travel there for education and health services. The government has framed the reclamation as a key pledge to the community.
Officials say the new airport will transform transport links and stimulate economic growth across the northern atolls. Once operational, the airport is expected to benefit nearby islands including Vashafaru, Filladhoo, Kelaa, Maarandhoo, Baarah and Utheemu.
The region currently has one airport, located in Hoarafushi. Haa Alif Atoll has 14 inhabited islands and a population of roughly 20,000.
New Airport Project in Dhihdhoo Begins With Arrival of Mega Dredger
