Ruth Haines
The Republic of Maldives is an island country in the Indian Ocean with a booming tourism industry. It features 1,192 islets, of which 200 are inhabited, and there are 14 airports currently operating in the country. The main international airport in the Maldives is Velana International Airport (VIA), also known as Malé-Velana International Airport. It is located on Hulhulé Island in the southern Malé Atoll. The airport codes for VIA are IATA: MLE and ICAO: VRMM.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Main International Airport | Velana International Airport (VIA), also known as Malé-Velana International Airport |
| IATA Code | MLE |
| ICAO Code | VRMM |
| Location | Hulhulé Island in the southern Malé Atoll (or Kaafu Atoll) |
| Operator | Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), a state-owned company |
| Runway Length | 3,400 metres (11,155 ft) |
| Runway Width | 60 metres (197 ft) |
| Other International Airports | Hanimaadhoo International Airport, Gan International Airport |
| Number of Airports | 14 in total |
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What You'll Learn
Velana International Airport (VIA)
The airport code for the Maldives is VIA, which stands for Velana International Airport. This airport is the main international airport in the Maldives and serves as the main gateway for tourists into the country. It is located on Hulhulé Island in the southern Malé Atoll (or Kaafu Atoll) and is nearby the capital island of Malé. The airport is well connected with major airports around the world.
Velana International Airport has a long history, first starting out as a small strip of land on the then-inhabited Hulhulé Island. The Hulhulé Airport was opened on 19 October 1960, with its first runway made of slotted steel sheets. The first aircraft to land at the airport was a Royal New Zealand Air Force Bristol Freighter, NZ5906, on 19 October 1960 at 13:55 hrs. In May 1964, a new asphalt runway was constructed with the help of the government and people of Malé. The new runway was opened on 12 April 1966 at 16:00 by President Ibrahim Nasir.
When the tourism boom in the Maldives began in 1972, the country needed an international-standard airport to transport tourists to the resort islands. The International Airports Authority of India successfully completed the construction of Hulhule Airport, which was inaugurated on 11 November 1981, under the name "Malé International Airport". The airport has since undergone several name changes, including being renamed the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport in 2011 and then rebranded as Velana International Airport in 2017, referring to the family house name of President Ibrahim Nasir.
Velana International Airport has a single asphalt runway designated 18/36, measuring 60 m × 3,400 m (200 ft × 11,150 ft). The airport also has an adjacent waterdrome with four water runways serving the large seaplane operations. The airport includes three terminals: the International Terminal, the Domestic Terminal, and the waterdrome Seaplane Terminal. It is managed financially and administratively by the state-owned company Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).
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Male Airport IATA code: MLE, ICAO code: VRMM
The airport code for the Maldives is determined by which airport you are travelling to. The main international airport in the Maldives is Velana International Airport (VIA), also known as Malé-Velana International Airport. This airport has the IATA code MLE and the ICAO code VRMM.
Velana International Airport is located on Hulhulé Island in the southern Malé Atoll (or Kaafu Atoll), close to the capital island of Malé. The airport is well-connected with major airports worldwide and acts as the main gateway to the Maldives for tourists. It is managed by the state-owned company Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).
The airport was first opened on 19 October 1960, when Hulhulé Airport was little more than a small strip of land on the then-uninhabited island of Hulhulé. The first runway was made of slotted steel sheets and measured 75 ft x 3,000 ft (23 m x 914 m). In 1964, the government and people of Malé worked together to construct a new asphalt runway, which was opened in 1966.
In 1972, a tourism boom in the Maldives led to the need for an international-standard airport, and so the International Airports Authority of India successfully completed the construction of Hulhule Airport, which was inaugurated in 1981 under the name Malé International Airport. In 2017, the airport was rebranded as Velana International Airport, referring to the family house name of President Ibrahim Nasir.
There are 14 airports currently operating in the Maldives, including three international airports: Velana International Airport, Gan International Airport, and Hanimaadhoo International Airport.
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Hanimaadhoo International Airport
Velana International Airport (IATA: MLE, ICAO: VRMM), also known as Malé-Velana International Airport, is the main international airport in the Maldives. It is located on Hulhulé Island in the southern Malé Atoll (or Kaafu Atoll), close to the capital island of Malé. The airport is well-connected with major airports worldwide and primarily serves as the main gateway to the Maldives for tourists.
Velana International Airport has undergone several upgrades over the years, including the construction of a new runway in 2018 and the development of a new terminal with a cargo facility. The airport is managed by the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), a state-owned company.
In addition to Velana International Airport and Hanimaadhoo International Airport, the Maldives has several other airports, including Gan International Airport in Addu (Seenu) Atoll and Maamigili Airport in Alif-Dhaalu Atoll. These airports cater to both international and domestic travel, supporting the country's thriving tourism industry.
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Gan International Airport
The airport code for the Maldives is MLE (IATA) and VRMM (ICAO) for the Velana International Airport, also known as the Malé-Velana International Airport. This airport is the main international airport in the Maldives.
The airport was formed in 2012 as a joint venture between GACL, MACL, and State Trading Organization Plc (STO) to promote tourism and other economic activity in South Maldives. STO sold all of its shares of the airport in February 2020, and as of June 2024, the Maldivian government owns 70% of AIA, with the remaining 30% held by KASA Holdings Private Limited.
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Villa International Airport
The main international airport in the Maldives is Velana International Airport (VIA), also known as Malé-Velana International Airport. Its airport codes are MLE (IATA) and VRMM (ICAO).
The airport provides direct transportation to two flagship resorts located on adjacent islands. Ibrahim started a project to build new runways so that planes from abroad visiting his resorts could land directly at Villa International Airport, instead of stopping off at Malé airport.
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