Velana/Malé Int'l Airport - Spotting Guide

Velana/Malé Int’l Airport – Spotting Guide

May 29, 2018 - last modified on January 27, 2020

Velana International Airport (IATA: MLE; ICAO: VRMM), is the major airport in the Maldives where all international flights converges to as well as the domestic flights. The pick time is during winter time between December to April when it is the dry season. You can execpt to get the Dash 8-100 of Maldivian Airways that run all around the day. Depending of you arrival time at the airport, if you are lucking you will be able to get the 320 & 321 of Maldivian Airways. Also, we will find the usual Middle East airlines all along the year, Oman Air, Etihad Airways, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Saudia. Asian carriers too, SriLankan Airlines, SpiceJet, Air India, Korean Air, China Southern, Air Asia, Bangkok Airways, Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, SilkAir, Hainan, HongKong Airlines, etc. Some European traffics too as, Edelweiss, Air France, Aeroflot, Condor, Alitalia, Austrian, British Airways, Turkish Airlines mostly during seasonal period. Mostly big aircraft like the 332, 333, 772, 773 and 319, 320, 321 or 737, 738 as well as the Dash 8-400.

The area south of the terminal building (along Airport Main Rd) to the Seaplane Terminal and further along the causeway to Hulhumale is a restricted area thus staying there is not permitted. There are checkpoints at the airport and when entering the causeway from Hulhumale. That’s sad as best shots of arriving and departing seaplanes can be taken from the causeway.

Written by Jeremy Denton and Markus Mainka (Last update June 2018)

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Airport Information
Runways
18/36	3.200m (10.499 ft) Concrete
Terminals
Terminal 1	International Flights
Terminal 2	Domestic Flights
Terminal 3	Seaplane Base
Spotting Information
Ladder	Not necessary.
Car/Public Transport	Not needed as you can easily switch between the spots by ferry to and from the airport.
Restrooms	Available at every spot.
Drinks/Food	Available at every spot.
Hotels	We recommend Unima Grand Hotel.
Season	Best is during winter time in order to avoid the monsoon. December to April. Dry season.
Runway Usage
18/36	Nothing special about runway usage except for the Dash 8 of Maldivian they usually take the fastest way to reach their destination. So some will usually leave on the other direction than the heavies arrive.

	Spot #1 – Food Court International Terminal
WHERE	From the international terminal, pass throw security check go forward to the food court area. It is pretty easy to find the location as it is a small place and signs can be find as well.

WHAT	Arrivals and departures pictures can be taken throw the windows. All traffic can be taken from this spot when both runway is in use. However, once the heavies come you will definitely have troubles to take the pictures as they obstruct the view.

TIME	Good light conditions are from around 14:00 in the afternoon until sunset.

MISC.	Foods, drinks and toilets are available.

FOCAL LENGTH	18-300m

	Spot #2 – Trans Maldivian Terminal
WHERE	This spot is accessible only if you fly with TMA. When booking a resort, you have two options to travel from Male to the hotel, by boat or by seaplane. It mainly depends on the distance of the Island.

WHAT	Mostly all TMA traffic can be made at this spot by walking along the pontoon. On top of that, you can manage to get shots of the departures heavies from the concrete runway 18. Keep in mind that this spot will soon +/- 1 year disappear as they are building the new runway exactly at this point.

TIME	All day for the Twin Otters but from 14:00 until sunset is the best time. To get the heavies, only from sunrise until around 12:00.

MISC.	Foods, drinks and toilets are available.

FOCAL LENGTH	18-400mm

	Spot #3 -Rooftop Unima Grand Hotel
WHERE	Open air rooftop terrace on the 13th floor of the Unima Grand Hotel, located on Male island. To get here, either take the cheap and regular ferry connections from the airport or Hulhumale island. Access allowed also to non guests of the hotel. Just enter the lobby and take the elevator to the 12th floor, where you will find a restaurant with similar view like from the rooftop but through windows. Take the stairs to the next floor to get to the open air terrace.

WHAT	Great overview of the whole airport island, Hulhumale island in the distance and parts of Male and the bridge under construction connecting Male with the airport. Arrivals and departures runway 36. Due to the height, you can see the approaching aircraft long in advance.

TIME	Good light conditions are from around 14:00 in the afternoon but best light is shortly before the sun sets. Heat haze might become a problem for aircraft on the ground.

MISC.	Needless to say but as this is not a public place, you should at least buy a drink. The dishes are also recommended. Gusting wind might get a problem here, when it gets too strong just go one floor down again. Directly in front of the hotel a huge mosque is being constructed at the moment. It might obstruct the view in the future.

FOCAL LENGTH	500-600mm

	Spot #4 – Dolphin View Cafe
WHERE	First floor of the Dolphin View Cafe. Only a few steps from the Unima Grand Hotel and the Ferry Terminal, directly at the waterfront. It’s more like a restaurant than a cafe, offering dishes like sea food. It’s open to the sides but with a solid roof protecting from the rain.

WHAT	Nice alternative to the Unima Grand Hotel. You are even a few meters nearer to the runway but due to the lower height only arriving aircraft can be photographed.

TIME	Good light conditions are from around 14:00 in the afternoon but best light is shortly before the sun sets.

MISC.	Having a drink and spotting aircraft by the sea – life can’t get any better than this.

FOCAL LENGTH	400-600mm

	Spot #5 -Hulhumale Ferry Terminal
WHERE	North and South of the Hulhumale Ferry Terminal. The ferry from and to Male is quite frequent with departures every 10-15 minutes and with 50 Cent very reasonably priced. When taking the ferry, be sure to take a seat on the side of the runway. If you are lucky and there is an aircraft taking off, you can take photos from the ferry. It does not operate on Friday during the Jumma Prayer. If staying on Hulhumale island, just walk along the main road or take buses N1 or N2 as both terminate here.

WHAT	Departures runway 36 and landings runway 18. The South side is a bit nearer to the airport but offers no shadow. To the North there is a small park with benches and trees offering shadow. Some seaplanes also pass this spot but most are already quite high.

TIME	From the early morning until around 11:00.

MISC.	There’s a small cafe called Good Vibes opposite the ferry terminal, which in fact is more like a street vendor offering drinks and hot snacks.

FOCAL LENGTH	300-600mm