Skip to content
TravelHub
Hulhumale · Maldives

Velana International Airport: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

Residents crossing between the capital and the airport island rely on bridge traffic and scheduled ferries for every domestic departure and international flight.

About the place
Now in the cityVelana International Airport+29°CPartly cloudyupdated 12:21 AM
Exchange rateMVR 15.46per 1 $MVR — the local currencyas of Nov 3, 2026
Within two hours
About the place

Built on Hulhulé Island, the airport forms the primary international transit hub for the surrounding atolls.

Hulhulé Island holds the main airfield for the archipelago, operated by Maldives Airports Company Limited under presidential oversight. The original landing strip utilized slotted steel sheets before residents and municipal districts of the capital volunteered labour to pave an asphalt runway. The facility took its current official title from the ancestral home of former president Ibrahim Nasir during a national modernisation drive.

Read on

State authorities once transferred operations to a private international consortium for major terminal expansion and land reclamation. A subsequent administration annulled the concession contract, prompting an immediate eviction notice and returning management to the national operator. Modern development added an expanded runway capable of handling wide-body aircraft alongside relocated seaplane facilities on the island.

Associations
  • Maldives Airports Company LimitedState enterprise managing financial and operational airfield logistics.
  • Hulhulé IslandDedicated island hosting runways, aprons, and transit infrastructure.
  • Ibrahim NasirFormer president whose family home inspired the airport name.
  • Concession DisputesContract cancellations caused legal tensions and project delays.
Facts
  • Maldives Airports Company Limited operates the airport under a board appointed by the national president.
  • The airport was renamed after the family home of former president Ibrahim Nasir.
  • The original landing strip on Hulhulé was constructed with slotted steel sheets.
  • A bilateral line of credit from India financed major expansion work on the airfield.
Source: Wikipedia

Getting there and staying

2 sources · As of November 4, 2026
Source: TravelHub · OurAirports (public domain)

Google reviews

What visitors say on Google Maps

Rating and recent reviews from Google Maps load on request.

Open in Google Maps

Similar nearby

Cities of Maldives
Places in Velana International Airport
Countries nearby
Frequent questions about Velana International Airport

Can’t find the place you need? Search understands any language. Open search