The date on which Gan airport was opened for operation of the 1st flight cannot be found in records. On May 1962 a Royal Air force flight of Great Britain landed at Gan airport. Gan Airport was constructed by Royal Air Force of Great Britain. The runway built on Gan by the British was 8,700 feet (2,656 meters).

Hanimaadhoo Airport Under the able guidance of the President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom the implementation of the project towards the development of the country was entrusted to the then Minister of Trade and Industries Honorable Ilyas Ibrahim, who was also the Minister of State for Defense and National Security.

The Airport, which opened on 11th December 1993, by the President His Excellency Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom was believed to bring rapid progress to the nation’s economy. And also it would be a great advancement because of the time saved, for medical and communication purposes - for more reasons than one.

When our president, His Excellency Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom assumed office in1978, some of the most pressing problems faced by the country were the immense difficulty involved in travelling between Malé and the outlying islands and the adverse effects in the Maldivian fishing industry due to illegal entry of foreign fishing vessels into the Maldivian territorial waters.