Seaplanes from Malé to the local islands
Fly in style to the local islands.
Fishing villages, whale-shark reefs and sandbanks with nobody on them. Take off from Velana, fly low over the atolls, land on a lagoon - and be on a local island before lunch.
- RASDHOONORTH ARI~20MGATE OPEN · PIER 4
- THODDOONORTH ARI~20MFLOATS ON WATER
- FULIDHOOVAAVU~20MBOARDING · DOCK 18
- DHANGETHISOUTH ARI~25MPILOTS BAREFOOT
- MAHIBADHOOSOUTH ARI~25MTAXIING OUT
- UKULHASNORTH ARI~25MPONTOON 11
- MATHIVERINORTH ARI~25MPROPS TURNING
- KEYODHOOVAAVU~25MLAGOON CALM
- FELIDHOOVAAVU~25MBAGS WEIGHED
- RAKEEDHOOVAAVU~25MLIFE VESTS ON
- DHIGURAHSOUTH ARI~30MGATE OPEN · PIER 18
- MAAMIGILISOUTH ARI~30MFLOATS ON WATER
- EYDHAFUSHIBAA~30MBOARDING · DOCK 4
- GOIDHOOBAA~30MPILOTS BAREFOOT
- FULHADHOOBAA~30MTAXIING OUT
- FEHENDHOOBAA~30MPONTOON 25
- FENFUSHISOUTH ARI~35MPROPS TURNING
- DHARAVANDHOOBAA~35MLAGOON CALM
- THULHAADHOOBAA~35MBAGS WEIGHED
- KAMADHOOBAA~35MLIFE VESTS ON
- NAIFARULHAVIYANI~40MGATE OPEN · PIER 4
- HINNAVARULHAVIYANI~40MFLOATS ON WATER
- MAGOODHOOFAAFU~40MBOARDING · DOCK 18
- NILANDHOOFAAFU~40MPILOTS BAREFOOT
- MULIMEEMU~40MTAXIING OUT
- KUDAHUVADHOODHAALU~45MPONTOON 11
- UNGOOFAARURAA~45MPROPS TURNING
- MANADHOONOONU~45MLAGOON CALM
- VELIDHOONOONU~45MBAGS WEIGHED
Live seaplane network · updated · see every lagoon
Gate 01 · Choose your island
29 islands. Thirteen atolls. One small aeroplane.
Every place here is an inhabited island, not a resort - a village with a harbour, a mosque, a football pitch and guesthouses. The seaplane lands at the nearest resort lagoon and a boat does the rest.
South Ari Atoll
- South Ari Atoll Dhigurah The long island, where whale sharks stay all year.
- South Ari Atoll Dhangethi A fishing village on the edge of whale-shark water.
- South Ari Atoll Mahibadhoo The capital of Alif Dhaal.
- South Ari Atoll Fenfushi The far south-western corner of Ari.
- South Ari Atoll · ✈ VAM Maamigili An island with its own runway.
North Ari Atoll
Baa Atoll
- Baa Atoll · ✈ DRV Dharavandhoo The gateway to Hanifaru Bay.
- Baa Atoll Eydhafushi The capital of Baa.
- Baa Atoll Thulhaadhoo The lacquerwork island.
- Baa Atoll Goidhoo A huge lagoon at the edge of the map.
- Baa Atoll Fulhadhoo One of the longest, emptiest beaches in the country.
- Baa Atoll Fehendhoo The quiet one in Goidhoo Atoll.
- Baa Atoll Kamadhoo A small Baa island with its own seaplane.
Lhaviyani Atoll
Vaavu Atoll
Faafu Atoll
Meemu Atoll
Raa Atoll
Gate 02 · The journey
Four legs, one unforgettable morning.
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01
Land at Velana
Clear immigration, collect your bags, and find the seaplane desk in arrivals. A shuttle runs you round to the seaplane terminal on the far side of the airport island.
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02
Wait by the water
Check in at the seaplane counter - you and your bags are weighed together - and wait in the seaplane lounge until your rotation is called.
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03
Fly low over the reefs
A Twin Otter on floats, a few hundred metres up, for twenty minutes to an hour. Atolls, sandbanks and reef channels slide past the window the whole way.
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04
Boat to the jetty
The aircraft lands on a resort lagoon and taxis to its platform. A speedboat meets you there and runs you across to your island's harbour.
Everything about the day: the terminal, baggage, the cut-off →
Gate 03 · Plan your flight
Build your boarding pass.
Choose an island, one way or return, and tell us when you land. We work out the likely lagoon, the flight and the boat, check both legs against the daylight, and send it to a real person who books it for you.
Featured island
Dhigurah, South Ari.
Three kilometres of beach, a village at one end and whale sharks off the reef all year. Plan it here like any other island, or book direct on Dhigurah's own seaplane site at a fixed fare that includes the boat.
$283 per adult one way · $185 per child · taxes and boat included
Gate 04 · The honest bit
Staying near Malé? Take the boat.
These islands are a short speedboat ride from the airport jetty, with no seaplane lagoon near enough to beat it. Nobody should sell you a flight to them, so we do not.
- MaafushiSouth Maléaround 30–45 minutes by speedboat
- GuraidhooSouth Maléaround 45 minutes by speedboat
- GulhiSouth Maléaround 30 minutes by speedboat
- ThulusdhooNorth Maléaround 30 minutes by speedboat
- HimmafushiNorth Maléaround 20 minutes by speedboat
- HuraaNorth Maléaround 30 minutes by speedboat
- DhiffushiNorth Maléaround 45 minutes by speedboat
Before you fly
Questions people actually ask
Can you take a seaplane to a local island in the Maldives?
Yes. Most seaplanes land on the lagoon at a resort's floating platform, and a speedboat takes you the last few minutes to the local island's harbour; a few islands - Thoddoo, Fulhadhoo, Kamadhoo, Velidhoo - also have a scheduled seaplane that lands at the island itself on set days. Seaplanes currently land at 78 resort lagoons across the atolls, and most inhabited islands in Ari, Baa, Lhaviyani, Vaavu, Faafu, Dhaalu, Meemu, Raa and Noonu are within a short boat ride of one. Seaplanes.mv arranges the flight and the boat together.
How long is a seaplane flight from Malé to the local islands?
Roughly 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the atoll. Estimated from the distances: South Ari 25–35 minutes; North Ari 20–25 minutes; Baa 30–35 minutes; Lhaviyani about 40 minutes; Vaavu 20–25 minutes; Faafu about 40 minutes; Dhaalu about 45 minutes; Meemu about 40 minutes; Raa about 45 minutes; Noonu about 45 minutes. Add a short speedboat ride from the lagoon platform to the island, usually 5 to 20 minutes.
What time do I need to land in Malé to catch a seaplane the same day?
Seaplanes fly in daylight only, roughly 06:00 to 18:00, because they land visually on open water. The working rule is to land in Malé by about 15:30; for the longer routes to Noonu, Dhaalu or Meemu, earlier is safer. Land later and you spend a night in Malé or Hulhumalé and fly the next morning.
Is there a seaplane timetable?
Mostly not. Seaplanes to resort lagoons are planned each day around who is flying where and when their international flights land, and your slot is usually confirmed the day before you travel - you book against your arrival flight, not a flight number. The exception is the scheduled seaplanes to a few local islands (Thoddoo on Thursday and Saturday; Fulhadhoo on Thursday and Saturday; Kamadhoo on Thursday and Saturday; Velidhoo on Wednesday and Friday), which fly on set days.
How much does a seaplane to a local island cost?
It depends on the route, and we quote yours in writing before you pay anything. As a reference point, the Malé to Dhigurah transfer in South Ari is USD 283 per adult and USD 185 per child under 12, one way, with taxes and the boat included. Longer routes generally cost more.
What is the baggage allowance on a Maldives seaplane?
It depends on the operator and the route: from 15 kg up to 25 kg per person, including hand baggage, with no single bag over 32 kg. We confirm yours with the booking. Passengers and bags are weighed together at check-in. Excess is charged by the kilo at the counter. Soft bags stow more easily than hard cases.
Do seaplanes fly in the rain?
Usually, yes. Moderate rain is flown through routinely. Thunderstorms and low cloud are what stop flying, since the whole operation is visual. Delays of an hour or so are far more common than cancellations.
When is a speedboat better than a seaplane?
For islands close to Malé - Maafushi, Guraidhoo, Gulhi, Thulusdhoo, Himmafushi, Huraa, Dhiffushi and their neighbours in North and South Malé Atoll - a speedboat of 20 to 45 minutes is faster, cheaper and needs no daylight cut-off. The seaplane earns its fare for the further atolls, where the boat takes two to four hours.