The airport is located on the island of Hulhulé and is connected to the capital Malé by ferries, buses and taxis. There is also a road bridge between Hulhulé and Malé.
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Boat - public ferries to Malé
The MTCC boat transport company is the fastest and cheapest transport to the capital Malé.
Follow the "Ferry to Malé" signs when you arrive. Ticket for 15 mvr can be purchased at the kiosk at the exit of the airport terminal.
The boats are small but safe and can carry luggage.
- Price - 15 mvr
- Frequency - 15 minutes during the day, 30 minutes at night
- Cruise time - 10 minutes
The ferries run 24/7. The boats, unlike the buses, also run during the midday Friday prayers.
The boat docks at the main wharf called "MTCC Ferry Terminal" where all public ferries (not private fast boats) depart from.
Bus to Male and Hulhumale
On the islands of Malé and Hulhumalé, the transport company RTL operates a modern system of public buses that also go to the airport.
Detailed information on the various bus routes can be found on the official website: rtl.mv/bus-routemap.
Tickets can be purchased in several ways:
- In exact cash from the driver
- With your own Visa or Mastercard by simply attaching it to the reader inside the bus.
- Via the RTL mobile app (available on Google Play / App Store)
- Online on the web: rtl.mv/busticket
There are 3 bus routes to the airport. They only stop at the main area near the national and international terminals and do not go to the seaplane building.
On Fridays, buses do not run between approximately 11:30 and 13:00, when there is a religious break for the main prayer.
- R3 - runs to the capital Malé along its southern coast, via Maafannu bus station and Villingili wharf to the terminus "West Park".
- Price - 10 mvr
- Frequency - 60 minutes
- Travel time - 25 minutes
- First bus from "West Park" - 5:40
- Last bus from the airport - 0:55
- R4 - goes to the southern part of the residential area on Hulhumale Island
- Price - 10 mvr
- Frequency - 30 minutes
- Travel time - 20 minutes
- First bus from Hulhumalé - 5:30
- Last bus from airport - 0:20
- R9 - goes to the northern part of the residential area on Hulhumalé Island
- Price - 15 mvr
- Frequency - 30 minutes
- Travel time - 25 minutes
- First and last bus - runs 24/7
Public transport map
Check out the map of all bus and ferry lines running to Malé Velana Airport.
Taxi
If you are travelling with heavy luggage, taxis are the most convenient transport option.
There are always plenty of them waiting outside the terminal.
They are cash only and the price is a flat rate set by the ministry:
- Small - MVR 70
- Hulhumalé Phase 1 (southern part) - 80 MVR
- Hulhumalé Phase 2 (northern part) - 85 MVR
Queues of up to 30 minutes form at the time of arrival of large aircraft from Europe or the Middle East.
Local mobile apps such as Uber or Grab also operate in the Maldives:
By air to other islands
The most popular transport from Malé to the atolls, islets and directly to hotel resorts are planes and especially seaplanes, which can reach even the smallest atolls.
Transportation for the hotel resort is mainly provided by Trans Maldivian Airways with the widest network of flights: transmaldivian.com.
Scheduled flights are mainly available from Maldivian, which flies to the larger islands: maldivian.aero. One-way fares range from 2 500 mvr to 5 000 mvr.
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Speedboat na ostatní ostrovy
There are also fast boats from the airport pier to the outer islands.
To find out times and buy tickets online, ideally use the Odi platform which compares all available public fast boats in the Maldives.
- Website: odi.travel
- Mobile app: App Store / Google Play
Look for the airport under the name "Velana Hulhule Airport".
Prices vary according to distance and specific shipping company and range from 400 mvr to 900 mvr.