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Data source: OurAirports (2026-09-01 Snapshot) · Methodology & Verification →

Velana International Airport

Compiled by Bill Gao

Malé, Malé (capital city) (Maldives)

IATA: MLE ICAO: VRMM

Longest Active Runway

11,155 ft

3,400 meters

Field Elevation

6 ft

2 m MSL

Runway Inventory

1 active

Lighted / Paved

Coordinates & Class

4.1918°, 73.5291°

LARGE AIRPORT

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Multi-Universe Rankings & Statistical Standing

How ranks work →

RunwayFacts Published Dataset

tied #321 of 650

In curated primary commercial index

Global Commercial Universe

#550 of 7558

Top 7.3% percentile worldwide

For airports with equal runway length, the worldwide order does not indicate a length difference.

National Standing (Maldives)

#2 of 2 in MV

#2 of 11 in full national registry

vs Large Airport Median

+11.6%

Compared to 10,000 ft baseline

💡 MLE in numbers: 11,155 ft longest runway · tied #321 of 650 published · #550 of 7,558 worldwide (top 7.3%) · #2 in Maldives.

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Editorial Aerodrome Deep Dive: Velana International Airport (MLE)

Curated Aerodrome Profile

Velana International Airport occupies the entire landmass of Hulhulé Island. Its newly commissioned 10,500 ft runway allows Code 4F aircraft like the Airbus A380 to land smoothly, while the conversion of the historic strip into a parallel taxiway dramatically boosted airfield movement capacity by eliminating runway backtrack delays. Alongside the land strip, four dedicated water runways handle hundreds of daily Twin Otter seaplane transfers.

Runway Layout & Magnetic Alignments

Single primary land runway 12/30 (10,500 ft / 3,200 m) with the parallel former runway converted into an active full-length taxiway, plus adjacent seaplane water runways.

Expansion Milestones & Predecessor Facilities

Opened in 1960 on Hulhulé Island with a slotted steel plank runway laid by local volunteers. Commissioned a brand-new 3,200m asphalt runway built by China Beijing Urban Construction Group in 2022.

Regional Differentiation & Cluster Role

Sole international gateway for the Republic of Maldives, co-located with the world's busiest floating seaplane base operated by Trans Maldivian Airways.

Data Nuances & Operational Quirks

Flanked by the Indian Ocean on both sides at just 6 ft elevation; aircraft roll out directly adjacent to ocean seawalls under steady tropical equatorial sea breezes.

📚 Official Aerodrome Sourcing: Maldives National Civil Aviation Authority · State Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) & ICAO Annex 14 Standards

Verification Methodology →

🔬 Operational & Aerodrome Engineering Comparative Analysis

Longest runway ≥10,500 ft

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Elevation & National Context

Lowland Aerodrome (<2,000 ft)

MLE lies at 2 m (6 ft), #641 of 650 published airports by elevation and 1.6 percentile among 7,558 worldwide. It is equal to the Maldives median; GAN is highest at 6 ft, 0 ft higher than MLE.

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Regional Density & Alternates (100 NM)

0 Qualifying Aerodromes in Vicinity

No published neighbour with a paved runway of 5,000 ft or more within 100 NM of MLE. Nearest published airport: Gan International Airport (GAN), 294 NM, 12,000 ft (845 ft longer than MLE); none other within 250 NM.

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Runway Inventory & National Standing

Primary Runway: 11,155 ft (3,400 m)

MLE runway: 18/36 11,155 × 197 ft asphalt (asp). National standing: #2 of 2 in Maldives; GAN leads by 845 ft (12,000 ft). +11.6% vs the 10,000 ft baseline.

🛫 Physical Runway Inventory & Surface Engineering

Runway Designator	Length (ft / m)	Width (ft / m)	Surface Material	Lighting	Status
18/36	11,155 ft (3400 m / 3.400 km)	197 ft (60m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active

🛡️ Source: OurAirports Open Aviation Database, snapshot 2026-09-01 · Provenance →