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Velana International Airport

Coordinates: 04°11′30″N 073°31′44″E / 4.19167°N 73.52889°E / 4.19167; 73.52889
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Malé-Velana International Airport

ވެލާނާ ބައިނަލްއަޤުވާމީ ވައިގެ ބަނދަރު
Summary
Airport typePublic/Military
OwnerGovernment of the Maldives
OperatorMaldives Airports Company Limited (MACL)[1]
ServesMalé, Maldives
LocationHulhulé
Opened12 April 1966; 58 years ago (1966-04-12)[2]
Hub for
Elevation AMSL6 ft / 2 m
Coordinates04°11′30″N 073°31′44″E / 4.19167°N 73.52889°E / 4.19167; 73.52889
Websitemacl.aero
Maps
MLE/VRMM is located in Maldives
MLE/VRMM
MLE/VRMM
Location of Airport in Hulhulé, Maldives
MLE/VRMM is located in Indian Ocean
MLE/VRMM
MLE/VRMM
MLE/VRMM (Indian Ocean)
MLE/VRMM is located in Asia
MLE/VRMM
MLE/VRMM
MLE/VRMM (Asia)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
18/36 3,400 11,155 Asphalt[3]
NR/SL 1,190 3,904 Water
NC/SC 1,100 3,609 Water
NL/SR 1,000 3,281 Water
E/W 800 2,625 Water

Velana International Airport (VIA), also known as Malé-Velana International Airport (Dhivehi: ވެލާނާ ބައިނަލްއަޤުވާމީ ވައިގެ ބަނދަރު) (IATA: MLE, ICAO: VRMM) is the main international airport in the Maldives. It is located on Hulhulé Island in the southern Malé Atoll (or Kaafu Atoll), nearby the capital island Malé. The airport is well connected with major airports around the world, mostly serving as the main gateway into the Maldives for tourists. It is managed financially and administratively by a state owned company known as Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).

History

[edit]
Seaplane terminal
2 Maldivian ATR Aircraft Flying Over Runway
Aircraft on both the runway and the water landing strip

Velana International Airport

[edit]

The airport first started out as a small strip of land on the then inhabited island of Hulhulé. Hulhulé Airport was opened on 19 October 1960. The first runway built on Hulhulé Island was made of slotted steel sheets. This runway was 75 ft × 3,000 ft (23 m × 914 m). The first aircraft which landed at the airport was a Royal New Zealand Air Force Bristol Freighter, NZ5906,[4] on 19 October 1960 at 13:55hrs. The first commercial flight was an Air Ceylon flight (Avro 748; 4R-ACJ) landed on this runway was at 15:50hrs on 10 April 1962. The first aircraft owned by the Maldives landed on the runway of the Hulhulé Airport on 9 October 1974.[5]

In May 1964, the government and the people of Malé worked together to construct a new asphalt runway. The four districts of Malé competed for the prize money of 1,000 rufiyaa, awarded to the fastest district. On the first day 108 volunteers were enlisted for the project and 1,563.08 rufiyaa was donated. The new runway was opened on 12 April 1966 at 16:00 by President Ibrahim Nasir.[5]

Upgrade to Velana International Airport

[edit]

When the tourism boom in the Maldives began in 1972, the country was in need of an international standard airport to transport international tourists to the resort islands. The International Airports Authority of India successfully completed the construction of Hulhule Airport, which was formally inaugurated, on 11 November 1981, under a new name of "Malé International Airport".

Maldives Airports Company Ltd (MACL) was formed on 1 January 1994 to operate and manage the Malé International Airport. MACL is governed by the board of directors appointed by the President of the Maldives.[6]

On 26 July 2011, Malé International Airport was officially renamed as the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport in memory of Ibrahim Nasir, the 2nd President of the Maldives and the founder of the airport.

On 1 January 2017, the airport was rebranded as Velana International Airport, referring to the family house name of President Ibrahim Nasir. The rebranding is part of a strategic plan in aligning the airport with the economic vision of the Yameen administration.[7] India has played a crucial role as a key supporter and financier of infrastructure initiatives in the Maldives, serving as a steadfast friend. India's Line of Credit amounting to $136.6 million significantly expedited the successful completion of the Male Airport project.[8]

Privatisation of the airport

[edit]

In 2010, the Nasheed administration appointed IFC to run a bidding process for the privatisation of the airport. The bid was won by a consortium between GMR Group and Malaysia Airports who provided 1 billion rufiyaa[9] as upfront fee to the government for the expansion and modernisation of the airport by 2014, and its operation for 25 years.

By the end of the year, MACL officially handed over the aerodrome licence of the airport to the newly formed GMR Malé International Airport Ltd (GMIAL).[10][11] GMIAL announced that the development plans included reclaiming more land at the eastern end of the runway; where a new terminal is to be built. This terminal would consist of three separate bridged buildings. Plans for a separate cargo terminal were also announced. However, the project faced numerous delays.[12]

In late 2012, the new government of Maldives under the Waheed administration declared that the concession agreement was void ab initio and on 27 November 2012 gave GMIAL a deadline of seven days to 'evict the airport',[13][14] a decision which drew mass protests from the government's opposition, as well as criticism from the government and media of India.[15] On 7 December, GMR handed over the airport to the government, and MACL was reinstated as the operator.[16]


Expansion of the airport

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On 18 September 2018, the airport finished a new runway. It is 3,400 metres (11,155 ft) long and 60 metres (197 ft) wide, built to serve larger aircraft.[17][18] The new runway was only used as a taxiway until 2022, when the old Trans Maldivian Airways seaplane terminal - too close to the new runway, and considered a potential hazard under international standards - was finally demolished.[19] Although the new runway was inaugurated on 5 September 2018 by then president of Maldives, Yameen Abdul Gayoom, it was not in use for scheduled flights for 4 years from then until the runway was fully ready.[20][21]

On 26 June 2019, a Maldivian Airbus A320 successfully tested the new southwest apron at Velana International Airport. This was the first live flight operation testing by Maldives Airports Company as they awaited final certification for operations. On 17 July 2019, the new apron was opened for flight operations. The ICAO fully compliant apron has three Code E MARS stands, two dedicated Code E stands and one dedicated Code C stand.

On 6 October 2022, a new Seaplane Terminal was opened.[22] The terminal was developed by China’s Beijing Urban Construction Group (BUCG) at a cost of US$55 million. In the world’s largest seaplane operation, the new terminal and dock can accommodate more than 100 seaplanes and operate 300 daily flights on average rising to 600 during peak season with the capacity to serve more than 6,000 tourists a day. With 28,000 square metres (301,389 sq ft) of floor space, the four-storey terminal building includes offices, arrival lobbies, and 42 lounges, most of which are dedicated for resorts aside from the MACL’s VIP and business lounges.[23]

The foundation work of the new passenger terminal being constructed at the airport was completed as of December 2019.[24] The new passenger terminal is being developed at the south of the current international terminal and will have an area of over 78,000 square metres (839,585 sq ft).[25] The current terminal was designed to serve 1 million passengers per year while the new terminal will have the capacity to serve 7.3 million passengers per year. Expected completion time of the new terminal is by 2025 and will cost about US$357 million. The project was contracted to the Saudi Bin Laden Group in 2019. The new Terminal is slated for early opening by July 2025, later becoming fully operational by Mid to Late-2025.[18][26][27][28] The expansion project also includes the construction of a cargo terminal and a fuel farm that is expected to be completed in 2020. The current cargo terminal permits the handling of 50,000 tonnes of cargo per year, the new terminal is expected to process 120,000 tonnes of cargo per year. The new fuel farm area is three times larger than the current fuel farm, while the current fuel storage capacity of the entire airport is 15,000 metric tonnes, the fuel storage capacity at the airport would reach 45,000 metric tonne by the end of the project. Under this project, an 8.4-kilometre (5.2 mi) fuel hydrant has been installed under the airport to fuel aircraft. After the system is implemented, fuel trucks will no longer be needed to fuel aircraft, improving safety and shortening service time for the airlines.[18][29][30]

The new runway became operational by 6 October 2022, with a Boeing 777 operated by Emirates from Dubai, UAE, landing on the new runway, with the existing runway being converted into a permanent taxiway, as TMA finished moving to the new seaplane terminal by August 2022. The old runway was closed by a departing Turkish Airlines Airbus A330 bound for Istanbul, Turkey.[31] The runway was developed by the BUCG at a cost of USD 452 million. With the operationalization of the new runway, the waiting time between landing flights will be decreased from 15 minutes to 3 minutes. The previous runway only accommodated 8 flights per hour, while the new runway can accommodate 21 flights per hour.[21]

Facilities

[edit]

The airport is at an elevation of 6 feet (1.8 m) above mean sea level. It has a single asphalt runway designated 18/36 measuring 60 m × 3,400 m (200 ft × 11,150 ft). The adjacent waterdrome which serves the large seaplane operations at Velana has 4 water runways, designated NR/SL, NC/SC, NL/SR and E/W, measuring 60 m × 1,190 m (200 ft × 3,900 ft), 60 m × 1,100 m (200 ft × 3,610 ft), 60 m × 1,000 m (200 ft × 3,280 ft) and 60 m × 800 m (200 ft × 2,620 ft) respectively.[32] Runway NL is takeoff only and runway SR is landing only due to proximities to flying restricted areas.

The airport has three terminals: the International Terminal, the Domestic Terminal and the waterdrome Seaplane Terminal.

The airport includes the corporate headquarters of Trans Maldivian Airways.[33]

Airlines and destinations

[edit]

Passenger

[edit]
AirlinesDestinations
Aeroflot Moscow–Sheremetyevo
Air Arabia Sharjah[34]
AirAsia Kuala Lumpur–International
Air Astana Almaty[35]
Air France Seasonal: Paris–Charles de Gaulle[36][better source needed]
Air India Delhi, Mumbai
Austrian Airlines Seasonal: Vienna[citation needed]
Azerbaijan Airlines Baku[37]
Bangkok Airways Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi
Batik Air Malaysia Kuala Lumpur–International[38]
Beijing Capital Airlines Beijing–Daxing[39]
BeOnd[40] Dubai–Al Maktoum, Milan–Malpensa,1[41] Riyadh, Zürich1[40]
Seasonal: Munich1[42]
British Airways London–Heathrow[43]
China Eastern Airlines Colombo–Bandaranaike,[44] Kunming,[44] Shanghai–Pudong[45]
Chongqing Airlines Chongqing, Colombo–Bandaranaike[46]
Condor Seasonal: Frankfurt[citation needed]
Discover Airlines Frankfurt[47]
Edelweiss Air Seasonal: Zürich[citation needed]
Emirates Colombo–Bandaranaike, Dubai–International
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi[48]
FitsAir Colombo–Bandaranaike
flydubai Colombo–Bandaranaike,[49] Dubai–International[50]
Flyme Dharavandhoo, Gan, Maamigili
Gulf Air Bahrain, Colombo–Bandaranaike[51]
IndiGo Bengaluru, Delhi,[52] Kochi, Mumbai[53]
LOT Polish Airlines Seasonal charter: Katowice,[54] Prague,[55] Warsaw–Chopin[citation needed]
Malaysia Airlines Kuala Lumpur–International[56]
Maldivian Bengaluru,[57][better source needed] Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Colombo–Bandaranaike, Dhaka,[58] Dharavandhoo, Fuvahmulah, Gan, Hambantota–Mattala, Hanimaadhoo, Hoarafushi, Kaadedhdhoo, Kadhdhoo, Kochi, Kooddoo, Kulhudhuffushi,[59] Thimarafushi, Thiruvananthapuram
Seasonal: Kuala Lumpur–International[60]
Charter: Changsha,[citation needed] Chongqing,[citation needed] Fuzhou,[citation needed] Hangzhou,[citation needed] Nanjing,[citation needed] Wuhan,[citation needed] Xi'an[citation needed]
Manta Air Dhaalu, Dharavandhoo, Gan, Maafaru
Neos Seasonal:Rome–Fiumicino,[citation needed] Verona[citation needed]
Oman Air Seasonal: Muscat[61]
Qatar Airways Doha
Saudia Jeddah, Riyadh
Singapore Airlines Singapore
SriLankan Airlines Colombo–Bandaranaike
Thai AirAsia Bangkok–Don Mueang[62]
Turkish Airlines Istanbul
US-Bangla Airlines Dhaka[63]
Virgin Atlantic Seasonal: London–Heathrow[64]
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi[65]
XiamenAir Xiamen[66]
Notes
  • ^1  : BeOnd's flights to Milan, Munich and Zurich operate with a refueling stop in Dubai-Al Maktoum. It does not sell tickets from Malé to Dubai.

Cargo

[edit]
AirlinesDestinations
IndiGo CarGo Mumbai[67]

Statistics

[edit]
Aircraft landing at the seaplane port

As of October 2023, SriLankan Airlines is the largest foreign carrier into the Maldives with over 21 flights a week. Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, Sri Lanka is the most common direct stop out of the Maldives as it is served by SriLankan Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Flydubai and Gulf Air who operate a combined total of up to 7 flights daily between Sri Lanka and the Maldives.[68]

Incidents and accidents

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See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "There will be major changes to MACL: Nazim". Haveeru Daily. 8 December 2012. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  2. ^ "History of MACL". Maldives Airports Company. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Tarring of Maldives main airport's new runway complete". The Edition. 26 August 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  4. ^ "19 October 1960, Bristol Freighter, NZ5906, Hulule, First land-based aircraft to land at Hulule". Flickr. Steve Jenks. 19 October 1960. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  5. ^ a b "History". Maldives Airports Company Limited. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  6. ^ "Corporate". Maldives Airports Company. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  7. ^ "Maldives' main airport renamed 'Velana International Airport'". Maldives Independent. 27 December 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  8. ^ Nanda, Prakash (3 May 2023). "India 'Shadowboxes' China In The Maldives; Looks To Knock Out Chinese Challenge In The Indian Ocean Nation". The EurAsian Times. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  9. ^ "GMR offers Rf1 billion for Male airport". Haveeru Daily. 24 June 2010. Archived from the original on 28 June 2010.
  10. ^ "GMR Group achieves financial closure of GMR Male International Airport Private Limited, Republic of Maldives and takes over operations of Male International Airport". GMR Group. 25 November 2010. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  11. ^ "GMR to take over airport operations after advanced payment". Haveeru Daily. 26 September 2010. Archived from the original on 17 June 2011.
  12. ^ "President hopes 2011 budget will speed up development projects". Haveeru Daily. 13 December 2010. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  13. ^ "Maldives cabinet passes to annul GMR agreement Maldives cabinet passes to annul GMR agreement". Haveeru Daily. 27 November 2012. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  14. ^ "MACL will now operate the airport: Finance Minister". Haveeru Daily. 27 November 2012. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  15. ^ Sharma, Rajeev (5 December 2012). "India, Maldives Row Over Airport Contract". The Diplomat. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Maldives govt completes take over of airport from GMR". Haveeru Daily. 8 December 2012. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  17. ^ "Velana International Airport opens new runway". China Daily. 9 September 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  18. ^ a b c "Velena International Airport Expansion Project, Maldives". Airport Technology. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  19. ^ "Maldives airport doubles capacity with new runway". Hotel Insider. 2 February 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  20. ^ "Velana International Airport has temporarily started using the new runway as a parallel taxiway". Routes. 3 February 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  21. ^ a b "New runway, seaplane terminal open at main int'l airport". Avas. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  22. ^ Zalif, Zunana (6 October 2022). "Largest seaplane terminal in the world - 'Noovilu Seaplane Terminal' inaugurated". Raajje TV. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  23. ^ "New Maldives seaplane terminal ready for opening". Hotel Insider. 11 July 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  24. ^ "The Foundation Work of the New Passenger Terminal Constructed at Velana International Airport is Completed". Avas. 17 December 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  25. ^ "New International Passenger Terminal Building". Maldives Airports Company Limited. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  26. ^ "Facade and roofing works to begin at new passenger terminal of VIA". PSM News. 21 May 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  27. ^ Shahid, Malika (22 December 2022). "VIA new terminal expected to be complete in 2025". The Edition. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  28. ^ "Velana International Airport's New Terminal opening rescheduled to July 2025". Aviators Maldives. 28 November 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  29. ^ "New fuel farm, cargo terminal to come into operation this year". PSM News. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  30. ^ "MACL conducts tests on new fuel tanks at Velana Airport". Avas. 16 August 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  31. ^ "Velana International Airport's New Runway Will Become Operational From 6th October". Aviators Maldives. 13 August 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  32. ^ "Regulatory requirements for water aerodrome operations in the maldives" (PDF). ICAO. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  33. ^ "Contact us". Trans Maldivian Airways. Retrieved 3 August 2024. Velana International Airport, P.O. Box 2023, Male', Republic of Maldives
  34. ^ "Air Arabia adds Maldives service from late-Oct 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  35. ^ "Collect Your Moments: Travel to Maldives". Air Astana. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  36. ^ "This winter, Air France will inaugurate a new non-stop service between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Manila". Airfrance.com. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  37. ^ Liu, Jim (2 September 2024). "Azerbaijan Airlines Adds Maldives Service From Nov 2024". AeroRoutes. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  38. ^ "BATIK AIR MALAYSIA ADDS MALE / SEOUL IN 2Q23". AeroRoutes. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  39. ^ "Beijing Capital Airlines resumes Maldives service in late-Jan 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  40. ^ a b "Beond, New All-Business Class Maldivian carrier to start operations from November 2023 and releases first routes". One Mile At A Time. 11 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  41. ^ "Beond Launches Bangkok / Milan in July 2024". AeroRoutes. 11 December 2023.
  42. ^ aerotelegraph.com - "Beond cancels Munich from summer schedule" (German) 27 February 2024
  43. ^ "British Airways - Timetables". www.britishairways.com.
  44. ^ a b "China Eastern resumes Kunming – Maldives service in mid-1Q24". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  45. ^ "China Eastern resumes Maldives service from Feb 2023". AeroRoutes. 24 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  46. ^ "Chongqing Airlines plans Sri Lanka / Maldives June 2024 launch". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  47. ^ "Lufthansa adds Mombasa / Zanzibar service; Maldives extends to year-round in NS21". Routesonline.
  48. ^ "Etihad NW23 Network Changes – 09AUG23". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  49. ^ "flydubai adds Male – Colombo sector in NW22". Aeroroutes. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  50. ^ Liu, Jim. "flydubai resumes Maldives service in from late-Oct 2020". Routesonline. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  51. ^ "Gulf Air adds Maldives service from late-Oct 2019". Routesonline. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  52. ^ "Delhi-Male Direct Flight by Indigo Restarts Operations From Nov 1, Details Here". News18. 9 September 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  53. ^ "IndiGo new flights". goindigo.com. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  54. ^ "Bilety lotnicze, bilety czarterowe i rejsowe, tanie loty krajowe i międzynarodowe - rezerwacja online | ITAKA". biletylotnicze.itaka.pl.
  55. ^ "Tour schedule". Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  56. ^ "Malaysia Airlines introduces new routes to Maldives, Chiang Mai and Da Nang, tickets on sale today". MalayMail. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  57. ^ "Maldivian Announces Inaugural Flights to Bangalore, India". Corporate Maldives. 16 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  58. ^ "Maldivian begins flights to Mumbai, Chennai and Dhaka – Maldives Insider". 16 November 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  59. ^ Liu, Jim. "Maldivian adds new domestic sectors in 4Q19". Routesonline. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  60. ^ "Maldivian schedules Malaysia service in July 2022". Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  61. ^ "Oman Air NS24 Network Changes – 29JAN24". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  62. ^ "Direct (non-stop) flights from Bangkok to Male". FlightsFrom. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  63. ^ Developer), Md Ashequl Morsalin Ibne Kamal(Team Leader)| Niloy Saha(Sr Web Developer)| Shohana Afroz(Web Developer)| Jobayer Hossain(Web. "US-Bangla to launch Dhaka-Male-Dhaka flights from Nov 19". unb.com.bd.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  64. ^ Mayling, Samantha (17 November 2022). "Virgin Atlantic unveils new services to Maldives and Turks and Caicos". Travel Weekly. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  65. ^ "Wizz Air launch new route to Maldives". Avioradar. 23 October 2024.
  66. ^ "XIAMEN AIRLINES ADDS XIAMEN – MALDIVES FROM LATE-JULY 2024". AeroRoutes. 25 June 2024.
  67. ^ "Flight History of 6E8409 (IGO8409)–Mumbai (BOM) to Malé (MLE)–IndiGo CarGo". FlightAware. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  68. ^ "CMB to MLE routes". Flightradar24. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  69. ^ a b c "Aircraft Accident History". Maldives Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
[edit]

Media related to Velana International Airport at Wikimedia Commons

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