The state has earned MVR 3.3 billion in revenue from airport taxes and fees so far this year, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Finance and State Enterprises.
The figure marks an increase compared with the same period last year.
According to the ministry’s latest Weekly Fiscal Developments report, the state collected MVR 1.64 billion in departure tax as of 29 October.
This is 6.4 percent higher than the MVR 1.54 billion collected through departure tax during the same period last year.
Revenue from the Airport Development Fee has also grown. The state received MVR 1.68 billion through the fee as of 29 October, compared with MVR 1.56 billion during the same period in 2025, an increase of 7.6 percent.
Combined, the departure tax and Airport Development Fee have brought in MVR 3.32 billion as of 29 October.
During the same period last year, the two sources generated MVR 3.11 billion, meaning total revenue has risen by 6.8 percent.
The departure tax was introduced on 1 January 2022, while the Airport Development Fee has been charged since 1 May 2017. The fee applies to every passenger departing the Maldives from Velana International Airport.
Passengers with diplomatic immunity, transit passengers and children under the age of two are exempt from the departure tax. Those with diplomatic immunity and direct transit passengers are exempt from the Airport Development Fee.
All revenue collected through the Airport Development Fee is deposited into the Maldives’ Sovereign Development Fund.
The fund also receives dividends paid on the government’s shares in Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), which operates Velana International Airport, along with additional revenue generated from increased fees for certain airport services.
The rise in airport revenue comes as the Maldives has welcomed more than 1.8 million tourists so far this year.
With departures continuing through the peak tourist season, airport taxes and fees remain one of the state’s key sources of revenue.
