Velana International Airport’s New Terminal Sets Stage For Unprecedented Tourism Surge In The Maldives

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

The Maldives has launched a new, state-of-the-art terminal astatine Velana International Airport to accommodate nan increasing number of world visitors and support nan country’s eager tourism goals. With tourism accounting for astir half of its revenue, nan Maldives intends to pull 2.3 cardinal visitors by 2025, and this description is simply a cardinal portion of that vision. The caller terminal importantly increases capacity, enhances nan wide recreation experience, and prepares nan federation to grip larger aircraft, ensuring a seamless travel for travelers and boosting nan nation’s tourism sector.

The Maldives precocious marked a important milestone pinch nan opening of a state-of-the-art rider terminal astatine Velana International Airport connected July 26, which is expected to importantly heighten nan airport’s capacity and further support nan maturation of nan country’s ever-expanding tourism industry. This caller improvement plays a captious domiciled successful ensuring that nan Maldives remains competitory successful nan world recreation assemblage by addressing nan expanding request for aerial recreation to nan islands.

Tourism is simply a cornerstone of nan Maldivian economy, contributing astir half of nan nation’s yearly revenue. It is besides 1 of nan country’s largest employers, pinch nan tourism assemblage providing jobs for a important information of nan population. With astir 200 resorts dispersed crossed nan islands, nan state is heavy reliant connected nan continuous influx of tourists. The opening of this caller terminal is expected to facilitate nan Maldives’ eager extremity of attracting 2.3 cardinal world visitors by 2025, providing a much-needed boost to nan country’s tourism infrastructure.

The description of Velana International Airport has been eagerly anticipated by manufacture professionals, pinch nan caller terminal expected to importantly amended some capacity and rider services. Prior to this description , nan airport’s accommodation struggled to support up pinch request during highest tourer seasons, which often led to congestion and a less-than-ideal acquisition for visitors. This caller terminal, therefore, represents a much-needed upgrade to meet nan increasing demands of nan country’s flourishing tourism sector.

The caller terminal stands arsenic nan largest building successful nan Maldives, pinch a capacity to grip 7.5 cardinal passengers annually, a melodramatic summation from nan erstwhile capacity of conscionable 1.5 million. The facility’s size and modern features are designed to cater to nan expanding number of world visitors while besides ensuring a smoother and much businesslike recreation experience. In summation to nan terminal itself, nan airdrome has besides expanded its runway to accommodate larger aircraft, specified arsenic nan Airbus A380, allowing for nan presence of much world carriers and facilitating nonstop flights from awesome world hubs.

In nan early stages, nan terminal will predominantly grip narrow-bodied aircraft, pinch wide-bodied craft expected to beryllium integrated into nan terminal by September aft undergoing a bid of audits by hose operators. The improvement adheres to world standards group by organizations specified arsenic nan International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and nan International Air Transport Association (IATA), ensuring that nan caller terminal meets world champion practices successful aviation infrastructure.

The terminal’s construction, which began successful 2016, was a important financial undertaking, totaling astir US$585 million. Funding for nan task came done concessional loans provided by respective world partners, including Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and OPEC, alongside contributions from nan Maldivian government. The financing statement is system to beryllium repaid complete nan adjacent 15 years, ensuring that nan finance supports nan country’s semipermanent maturation and infrastructure needs.

As of now, 34 world airlines work Velana International Airport, offering flights to 36 destinations worldwide. With nan summation of nan caller terminal, nan Maldives is poised to pull moreover much airlines, further expanding its world connectivity and reinforcing its position arsenic a premier tourer destination. Furthermore, nan Maldives operates nan world’s largest seaplane network, comprising 86 craft and facilitating astir 9,000 seaplane movements daily, successful summation to 11,000 craft movements. The integration of these various carrier systems enhances nan wide accessibility of nan islands, providing visitors pinch a seamless recreation experience.

The caller terminal besides boasts a scope of modern amenities and features designed to heighten rider convenience. It includes 12 aerobridges, a first for nan Maldives, which will destruct nan request for passengers to locomotion connected nan tarmac and let for quicker and much comfortable boarding and disembarking. The terminal besides has six interaction gates, a state-of-the-art automated baggage handling strategy tin of processing 3,000 bags per hour, and 90 check-in counters. Additionally, location are six self-service kiosks, pinch plans to summation this number to eight, further streamlining nan check-in process. These accommodation are designed to accommodate nan increasing number of world travelers and supply a smooth, businesslike experience.

The terminal’s architectural creation takes inspiration from nan earthy beauty of nan Maldives, pinch its exterior reflecting nan graceful activity of water waves, creating a consciousness of harmony pinch nan surrounding environment. The improvement of Velana International Airport’s caller terminal is simply a cardinal measurement successful ensuring that nan Maldives tin proceed to meet nan demands of modern aerial travel, and it marks a pivotal infinitesimal successful nan country’s ongoing efforts to grow and heighten its tourism infrastructure.