India has confirmed that it is aid the government of Maldives in its project to expand the Hanimaadhoo Airport in a bid to change the airport to an international one.

In a tweet, the Indian High Commission here in the Maldives confirmed that the Hanimaadhoo Airport expansion project would be carried out under the Indian Line of Credit announced during President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s state visit to India in December 2018.

It also said that the project would boost the local economy and increase the connectivity between the Maldives and the neighboring India.

The quoted Line of Credit between the two countries is believed to be USD 800 million and would be used to modernize the Hanimaadhoo airport and transform it to an International Airport that could accommodate commercial airliners as well as domestic flights.

Transforming the Hanimaadhoo Airport into an International level airport was a pledge made by President Solih in his campaign to secure the office in the last presidential election.

The government had previously announced that it would in fact work to achieve this pledge.