Malé International Airport (MLE), Male

The airport at a glance

• Velana International Airport is the Maldives' main gateway, on Hulhulé island next to the capital, Malé. It is run by Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).
• A new international passenger terminal opened on 26 July 2025. It cost USD 585 million, can handle about 7 million passengers a year, five times the old 1981 building, and has 47 check-in counters, 6 self-service kiosks and 12 aerobridges.
• Thai AirAsia flies to Bangkok–Don Mueang. Other airlines link Malé with the Gulf, India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, China and Europe.

Which terminal: international, domestic or seaplane

• T1 (the new terminal): international flights.
• T2: domestic flights to the other atolls (since February 2026).
• Noovilu Seaplane Terminal: seaplane transfers to resorts. It opened in 2022 and handles about 1,000 passengers an hour.
• Speedboat transfers leave from the airport jetty.

Getting to Malé and Hulhumalé

• Public ferry to Malé: from the Ferry Ticketing Counter near T2, about every 15 minutes from 05:30 to midnight. The fare is MVR 15, by cash or card.
• RTL public buses connect the airport with Hulhumalé and Malé; schedules and tickets are in the RTL Travel app.
• Taxis run 24 hours a day across the bridge link; standard bridge fares apply. You can pre-book with Avas Ride, Nala Taxi or Malé Taxi Line.
• The airport information counters and help desk are staffed 24 hours a day: +960 332 5511.

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Arriving in the Maldives

• Tourist visas are issued on arrival for all nationalities, with no pre-approval. You need a passport with a machine-readable zone valid for at least one month, a confirmed return ticket, a prepaid booking (or enough funds) and, if you came through a risk country, a yellow fever certificate.
• Every traveller, including children, must submit the free Traveller Declaration online at imuga.immigration.gov.mv within 96 hours before the flight. Use only the official IMUGA site; other sites charge for it.
• Don't bring alcohol: liquor bought on the plane or in duty-free shops on the way is confiscated on arrival (resorts and hotels sell it). Pork, pets and live plants need permits; narcotics, pornography, religious materials offensive to Islam and idols for worship are prohibited.

Lounges

• T1: Koveli Lounge (05:00–23:00) and Maamahi Executive Lounge (05:30–23:30).
• Seaplane Terminal: Vilu Business Lounge (05:30–21:00) for passengers waiting for a seaplane or arriving from a resort.

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