Former President Mohamed Nasheed has called for the operation of Hanimaadhoo International Airport to be awarded through an open tender process, suggesting the most advantageous option would be for an airline or private party to manage the airport under contract.
Nasheed made the comments in a message shared with a group that reportedly included prominent tourism industry figures, according to local media reports. The message appears to be in response to allegations by former President Abdulla Yameen that the government is planning to hand over the airport to India’s Adani Group.
“The benefits to the Maldives would be greater if we could earn money by leasing what we have, rather than trying to repay loans through airport operations,” Nasheed said in the message.
He added that private sector involvement — whether domestic or foreign — would be more effective, advocating for public tenders as a means of selecting the operator. “It makes sense for both airports and other businesses to be run by the private sector,” he said.
Nasheed also defended the controversial GMR deal that was terminated in 2012. He noted that if the 25-year concession to India’s GMR Group had continued, the new airport would have been operating for a decade without adding MVR 2 billion in public debt. “The benefits to the government would not have been small,” he said.
The GMR agreement was signed under Nasheed’s administration in 2010 and involved the development and management of the then Ibrahim Nasir International Airport. It was later annulled by President Dr Mohamed Waheed’s government, which claimed the deal was detrimental to national interest. In 2016, the Yameen administration paid $271 million in compensation to GMR for the cancellation.
Nasheed’s remarks come days after former President Yameen accused the Muizzu government of negotiating a deal to sell Hanimaadhoo airport to the Adani Group. Yameen, speaking at a gathering at the People’s National Front office on Thursday, alleged that members of President Mohamed Muizzu’s delegation met Adani Group’s chairman in Singapore during the president’s recent state visit.
“It is reported that the Hanimaadhoo airport is being sold to the Adani Group,” Yameen claimed. “As far as I know, among the people who met this time, they met the chairman of the Adani Group in Singapore.”
However, Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed has rejected the allegations. “There is no truth whatsoever to the rumours that Hanimaadhoo Airport will be sold or leased to a foreign party, or that any meetings took place in Singapore about such a deal,” Saeed posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The airport, located in the northernmost atoll of Haa Dhaalu, is nearing completion. Funded through a US$136.6 million line of credit from India’s Exim Bank, the development includes a new 2.46-kilometre runway capable of accommodating Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft. The passenger terminal is expected to handle 1.3 million passengers annually.
According to Construction Minister Abdulla Muththalib, the project is 88.7% complete and on track for a September opening. The runway has been finished, and infrastructure such as the air traffic control tower, hangar, and cargo building is 96% complete.
Yameen, however, maintains that the airport is a vital asset for northern Maldives and warned against foreign control. He emphasised the importance of Hanimaadhoo Airport in stimulating regional development, boosting investment, and enhancing connectivity.