Live flights at Velana International Airport (MLE)

MLE VRMM  Malé, MV

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MLE at a glance

  • What it is: Velana International Airport is a regional airport serving Malé, MV.
  • Codes: MLE on your ticket, VRMM on the radar.
  • Size: 1 runway at 6 ft above sea level.
  • Local time zone: Indian/Maldives (UTC+5), so every time shown for MLE is local rather than UTC.
1
Runways
6 ft
Field elevation

About Velana International Airport

Velana International Airport lies in the tropics at 4.19° N, 73.53° E, on Indian/Maldives time (UTC+5). Tropical airports contend with heat and humidity, both of which thin the air and lengthen takeoff runs, and with convective storms that build fast in the afternoon.

Velana International Airport has 1 runway. The longest, 18/36, measures 11,155 ft by 197 ft, which puts the field in the long-haul capable category: widebodies operate comfortably, though the very longest sectors may need a payload trade. The surface is asphalt. It is lit for night operations.

Runway 18/36 is aligned roughly south/north, which is the clearest hint you get about the prevailing wind here: runways are built to face the wind that blows most often, because aircraft take off and land into it. Every runway here shares that south/north alignment, so a strong crosswind means a crosswind landing rather than a switch to another strip.

At 6 ft the field is effectively at sea level, which is the friendliest case for aircraft performance: maximum lift, maximum thrust and the shortest takeoff runs an aircraft is capable of.

Runways at MLE

RunwayLengthWidthSurfaceLighting
18/36 11,155 ft (3,400 m) 197 ft Asphalt Lit

Runway numbers are the magnetic heading rounded to ten degrees, which is why they change when the magnetic field drifts - runway numbers explained.

Airports near MLE

Great-circle distance from Velana International Airport, closest first.

AirportCodeDistanceDirectionCity
Gan GAN 545 km south Gan
IATA / ICAO
MLE / VRMM
Location
Malé, MV 4.192, 73.529
Time zone
Indian/Maldives
Opened

Nearby and related airports

Geographically close airports and useful alternatives in MV.

More airports and guides connected to MLE

How a field like this runs day to day is covered in how airports work. Nearby, Gan (GAN) serves the same country. The codes MLE and VRMM are explained in airport codes decoded.

Data sources and review

Reviewed 2026-07-29 by Flight-Tracker.net Editorial Team

This profile is generated from the airport's published coordinates, elevation and runway records. It does not claim live terminal or passenger totals.

Read our airport data sourcing and review process, or inspect the machine-readable reference dataset.

Frequently asked questions about MLE

What is the airport code for Velana International Airport?

Velana International Airport uses the IATA code MLE on tickets and baggage tags, and the ICAO code VRMM in flight plans and on radar. The leading “V” in VRMM is the region marker: ICAO codes are grouped geographically, which is why airports near each other usually share their first letter or two while their IATA codes look unrelated.

How many runways does MLE have?

Velana International Airport operates 1 runway. The field sits at 6 ft above sea level.

What time zone is MLE in?

Velana International Airport operates on Indian/Maldives local time. Scheduled departure and arrival times for this airport are always published in local time, not UTC.

Can I track flights at MLE live?

Yes. The map on this page shows every aircraft broadcasting its position within about 55 km of Velana International Airport. The boards split them into departures, arrivals and traffic passing overhead, all timed in Indian/Maldives.