<h2 class="blog-hed2 pb-lg-4 pb-3 text-lg-center">History Velana International Airport</h2>
<p class="blog-para"><strong>Hulhul&eacute; Airport:</strong> The airport first started out as a small strip of land on the then inhabited island of Hulhul&eacute;. Hulhul&eacute; Airport was opened on 19 October 1960. The first runway built on Hulhul&eacute; Island was made of slotted steel sheets. This runway was 75 ft. &times; 3,000 ft. (23 m &times; 914 m). The first aircraft which landed at the airport was a Royal New Zealand Air Force Bristol Freighter, NZ5906, on 19 October 1960 at 13:55hrs. The first commercial flight was an Air Ceylon flight (Avro 748; 4R-ACJ) landed on this runway was at 15:50hrs on 10 April 1962. The first aircraft owned by the Maldives landed on the runway of the Hulhul&eacute; Airport on 9 October 1974.</p>
<p class="blog-para">In May 1964, the government and the people of Mal&eacute; worked together to construct a new asphalt runway. The four districts of Mal&eacute; competed for the prize money of 1,000 rufiyaa, awarded to the fastest district. On the first day 108 volunteers were enlisted for the project and 1,563.08 rufiyaa was donated. The new runway was opened on 12 April 1966 at 16:00 by President Ibrahim Nasir.</p>
<p><img class="img-fluid p-lg-0 rounded w-100" title="History Velana International Airport" src="../../../main/img/airport/vela/v.webp" alt="History Velana International Airport"></p>
<!--end first section--><!--second section-->
<h2 class="blog-hed2 my-4">Upgrade to Velana International Airport</h2>
<p class="blog-para">When the tourism boom in the Maldives began in 1972, the country was in need of an international standard airport to transport international tourists to the resort islands. So, on 11 November 1981, the airport was officially inaugurated under a new name of "Mal&eacute; International Airport".</p>
<p class="blog-para">Maldives Airports Company Ltd (MACL) was formed on 1 January 1994 to operate and manage the Mal&eacute; International Airport. MACL is governed by the board of directors appointed by the President of the Maldives.</p>
<p><img class="img-fluid p-lg-0 rounded w-100" title="Upgrade to Velana International Airport" src="../../../main/img/airport/vela/v1.webp" alt="Upgrade to Velana International Airport"></p>
<!--end second section--><!--third section-->
<h2 class="blog-hed2 my-4">Facilities Velana International Airport</h2>
<p class="blog-para">The airport is at an elevation of 6 feet (1.8 m) above mean sea level. It has a single asphalt runway designated 18/36 measuring 60 m &times; 3,400 m (200 ft. &times; 11,150 ft.). The adjacent waterdrome which serves the large seaplane operations at Velana has 4 water runways, designated NR/SL, NC/SC, NL/SR and E/W, measuring 60 m &times; 1,190 m (200 ft. &times; 3,900 ft.), 60 m &times; 1,100 m (200 ft. &times; 3,610 ft.), 60 m &times; 1,000 m (200 ft. &times; 3,280 ft.) and 60 m &times; 800 m (200 ft. &times; 2,620 ft.) respectively. Runway NL is takeoff only and runway SR is landing only due to proximities to flying restricted areas.</p>
<p class="blog-para">The airport has three terminals: The International Terminal, the Domestic Terminal and the waterdrome Seaplane Terminal.</p>
<p class="blog-para">The airport includes the corporate headquarters of Trans Maldivian Airways.</p>
<p><img class="img-fluid p-lg-0 rounded w-100" title="Facilities Velana International Airport" src="../../../main/img/airport/vela/v2.webp" alt="Facilities Velana International Airport"></p>