Maafaru International Airport Reports 522 Tourists this Year

Maafaru International Airport welcomed 522 tourists so far this year, according to data published by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment.

The statistics, released on 20 January, show that Maafaru recorded the second-highest number of tourist arrivals among the country’s international airports during the period. Velana International Airport recorded the highest number of arrivals, with 133,785 tourists entering the Maldives so far this year.

Maafaru International Airport continues to play a key role in serving high-end tourism, particularly private jet traffic. During the current peak season, more than 200 private jets have landed at the airport, according to PSM. The airport expects the number of jet movements to reach around 800 by the end of the peak tourism season.

The airport, which opened in 2019, has undergone several phases of expansion since becoming operational. Recent developments include the expansion and opening of additional apron areas to accommodate increased aircraft movements.

Built with funding of USD 60 million from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Maafaru International Airport is operated by the state-owned airline Island Aviation. The airport is capable of handling both Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft.

Overall tourist arrivals to the Maldives have shown steady growth. A total of 129,201 tourists have visited the country so far this year, representing an 8.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year, when 117,532 tourists were recorded.

The highest number of tourist arrivals in a single day this year was recorded on 11 January, with 9,596 visitors. On average, the Maldives receives around 7,134 tourists per day.

In 2025, China accounted for the largest share of tourist arrivals to the Maldives. However, in the first 19 days of this year, Russia has emerged as the leading source market, after ranking second in arrivals last year.

Tourism in the Maldives continues to expand, following a record year in 2025, when the country welcomed a total of 2.2 million tourists.