Maldives' Velana International Airport Opens Modern Terminal 1
The island nation's primary gateway has completed a long-awaited terminal upgrade, replacing a facility notorious among travelers for heat and overcrowding with air-conditioned jet bridges and organized arrivals.
Velana International Airport in Malé has brought its new Terminal 1 into service for international arrivals, marking what travelers describe as a dramatic improvement over conditions at the island nation's main gateway.
The upgraded facility introduces the airport's first jet bridges—seven are currently operational, with plans to expand to between 12 and 15 once construction is fully complete, according to a recent report. The previous arrivals process required passengers to disembark via stairs onto the tarmac, board buses in tropical heat, and navigate a cramped arrivals hall. Because the terminal is opening in phases, some aircraft may still park at remote stands during the transition period.
Inside the new building, passengers encounter a redesigned immigration hall featuring modern baggage carousels, local artwork installations, and updated restroom facilities. The physical infrastructure represents a substantial upgrade, though peak-hour queues at customs and immigration reportedly remain a constraint. The former terminal facility has been redesignated as Terminal 2 and now handles domestic flight operations.
Upon clearing customs, arriving passengers now enter an air-conditioned arrivals hall where resort representatives and seaplane operators maintain consolidated service counters. Most visitors continue onward via the recently opened Noovilu Seaplane Terminal, transfers to domestic flights at Terminal 2, or pre-arranged speedboat and yacht pickups coordinated by resorts. Travelers must still complete the IMUGA declaration form prior to arrival, though departure declarations were eliminated previously.
The Maldives remains a popular destination for premium travelers, with properties accessible via seaplane, speedboat, and domestic turboprop connections from the capital. The terminal modernization addresses longstanding infrastructure complaints at an airport that serves as the sole international entry point for the archipelago nation's tourism industry.