Funadhoo Airport in Shaviyani Atoll has been closed due to a technical issue.

On Saturday, the country’s national airline, Maldivian announced that Funadhoo Airport has been closed due to a technical issue. They also revealed that scheduled flights for Saturday will not be operated due to this issue.

Highlighting that this will affect travel plans, Maldivian said they are working on arranging alternative travel options for passengers and will communicate with the passengers.

Maldivian has also apologized for the inconvenience caused by this issue. However, they have not shared details about the specific problem that occurred.

Funadhoo Airport is operated by Regional Airports Company. Only Maldivian operates flights to Funadhoo. Maldivian flies to Funadhoo on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

Late last year, scheduled flights were also significantly disrupted due to technical issues, and operations were temporarily suspended.

As this issue continues to occur repeatedly, on 28 February 2024, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu met with Funadhoo residents and promised to further develop the airport. This includes extending the runway, improving airport services, and increasing the number of flights.

However, so far in the current administration, no practical work has been done to develop the airport. Residents of the island have also expressed concern about this.

The closure of Funadhoo Airport coinciding with the Eid al-Adha holidays is expected to cause significant inconveniences to several individuals.

Opened and operational in 2020, Funadhoo Airport has a 1,200-meter long and 30-meter wide runway. The taxiway is 90 meters long. The apron is 50 meters wide and 150 meters long.