The Maldives’ main international airport, the Velana International Airport (VIA) is the main gateway to the Maldives. The airport serves millions of tourists annually. Its domestic terminal connects travellers to almost all airports across the Maldives, with thousands using the terminal each day. These include locals traveling to the atolls and tourists heading to resorts and guesthouses.
While the number of travellers using the domestic airport has been increasing day by day, the terminal’s last major upgrade was in 2016. Only minor changes have been made since then, with limited service expansion.
According to statistics shared by the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), the domestic terminal handled 1.17 million passengers last year, including both arrivals and departures. While a total of 28,348 flight movements were recorded in 2025, these numbers are expected to increase further.
One of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s top priorities upon taking office was completing the new international terminal at VIA, a project of significant importance to the national economy. While the new international terminal was opened on Independence Day last year, it brought about a revolutionary change to the Maldives’s air transport sector, and eliminated the main constraints to tourism growth.
While operations of all international airlines traveling to the Maldives have since been shifted to the new terminal, named Terminal One, the tourist arrival numbers have been growing. Since its opening, the Maldives recorded three separate daily tourism arrival records in February alone, reflecting rapid growth in tourist numbers.
To match the expanded international operations, the domestic terminal has now been relocated to the former international terminal, within just 15 days. Services provided from the domestic terminal have been upgraded, with the number of check-in counters increasing from 8 to 27. While more departure gates are now available, baggage belt capacity has been increased four-fold. Additional commercial spaces have also been added, along with expanded prayer areas. A children’s play area has also been added for families.
At the ceremony held to commence operations at the new domestic terminal, MACL’s Managing Director’s Ibrahim Shareef Mohamed thanked the government and highlighted the President’s guidance in completing the domestic terminal upgrade.