# Velana International Airport (MLE)

> Malé, MV · IATA: MLE · ICAO: VRMM · Large Airport · Cargo Hub

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| IATA | `MLE` |
| ICAO | `VRMM` |
| City | Malé |
| Country | MV |
| Type | Large Airport |
| Elevation | 2 m |
| Cargo | ✅ |
| GPS | 4.19183, 73.52910 |

## Description

Fresh and chilled yellowfin tuna leaving under unbroken cold chain, and food, construction material and resort supplies arriving in the other direction — that is the shape of air freight at Velana International Airport (MLE/VRMM), the Maldives' main gateway, formerly known as Malé International Airport. The airport occupies Hulhulé island next to the capital Malé, linked by road via the Sinamalé Bridge since 2018. Its cargo terminal covers 12,000 m² and is designed for 120,000 tonnes a year, part of a roughly USD 1 billion expansion by state operator Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL). The new Terminal 1 opened on 26 July 2025 and, according to the operator, triples passenger and cargo handling capacity; since 17 February 2026 domestic flights have used the former international building as Terminal 2. Cargo volumes rose about 10% in 2025 against the previous year. Onward distribution is maritime rather than road-based: consignments move from Hulhulé to the atolls by boat or seaplane, which drives packaging and transit-time planning. Perishables shippers should also plan around the peak tourist season, when belly capacity competes with passenger baggage. Colombo (CMB) in Sri Lanka is the usual regional alternative and transhipment point, with Hanimaadhoo (HAQ) and Gan (GAN) serving the northern and southern atolls.

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*Freight Academy — Airport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/male-international-airport-mle](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/male-international-airport-mle)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/male-international-airport-mle](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/male-international-airport-mle)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/airports/male-international-airport-mle/llm-summary*