How does a Maldives seaplane transfer work, and what does it cost? I’ve done it twice now, to Machchafushi and to V Villas, and the short version is that your resort arranges the whole thing and ours was $620 (£465) per person return.
It’s around 30 minutes over the atolls with the cockpit open in front of you, and I’d pick it over a speedboat every time. By the end of my guide you’ll know what time your flight needs to land, what to keep in your pocket and whether a seaplane resort is the right choice for you.
More of my Maldives guides to help plan your trip
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How Maldives seaplane transfers work
Most resorts beyond speedboat range of Malé are reached by seaplane, flown by Trans Maldivian Airways. Flights take 20 to 60 minutes depending on the resort, and the plane lands on the lagoon next to the island. The resort books it when you confirm your stay and bills you for it.
Everything depends on daylight. Seaplanes don’t fly after dark, so your international flight has to land inside a window the resort will tell you, and that window decides which flights you can book.
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What a Maldives seaplane transfer costs
What we paid and how it was billed
Our transfer to V Villas in October was $620 (£465) per person return, and it’s charged on top of the room rate. The resort emailed the price when we booked, offered to take payment in advance or upon checkout, we paid at checkout on a card without any fuss. Resorts set their own transfer prices, in conjunction with Trans Maldivian, so expect somewhere around $400 to $700 return at most seaplane resorts and more for the most remote atolls.
My Top Tip! Before you book, check a few sources for the same resort, because there are sometimes flash sales which include or discount the seaplane. Our first trip to Machchafushi came through Voyage Privé with the transfer in the package, and Booking.com has windows through the year with half-price or two-for-one transfers on some resorts.
I recommend you compare the total for the dates, not the room rate, because a resort that advertises a free transfer may have put it in the room price.
Baggage allowance and excess charges
The allowance was 20kg of checked luggage and 5kg of hand luggage each. Our bags were weighed at the counter and the weight was printed on the boarding pass, so it is enforced.
Anything over was $6 (£4.50) per kilo, paid once to the airline and covering both directions. Your long-haul allowance from the UK is usually higher than 20kg, so check what you’ve packed before you land rather than at the counter.
Booking your seaplane and timing your flights
What the resort needs from you
Both times our hotel has asked for our arrival and departure flight numbers and times, full names as they appear on our passports with gender and nationality, and the name of any Malé hotel we’d be in on arrival day.
They didn’t give us a seaplane time, just confirmed they’d collect us from the international flight, and then from the hotel once our plans changed. The seaplane time is often set the day before or on the day, and they tell you at the airport.
The landing window to book inside
V Villas guaranteed a same-day seaplane for international flights landing between 06:00 and 15:15, with the seaplane leaving about an hour to an hour and a half after you land.
For the way home they guarantee flights departing from 09:00 onwards, with the seaplane leaving the resort two to two and a half hours before.
Other resorts vary slightly, but it’s broadly the same everywhere: land by early afternoon, fly home from mid-morning. Flights from the UK via the Gulf usually land in Malé in the morning, which is ideal. Many flights from Asia land in the evening, so if you’re coming that way check the times carefully before you book the flight, or you will need a night in Malé.
If your Malé arrival flight is delayed
What happened to us
Our flights went wrong and we got into Malé very late and after the last seaplane. This meant we missed our first night and had to spend the night in Malé, choosing the Amber Seaside Hotel in Hulhumalé, the island next to the airport.
It was annoying but our hotel were great, they re-booked our seaplane and arranged the morning transfer from the hotel and had someone meet us to check us in.
The resort didn’t refund the missed night, which I understand, but they offered two options; refund the full board element of the day we missed or to move the lost night to the end of our stay for nothing. We moved our flight home and took them up on the extra night.
If your flight is delayed it’s well worth phoning the hotel before you assume the night is gone.
Where to sleep if you miss the last seaplane
The resort will put you on the first seaplane next morning, which usually leaves between 06:00 and 09:00. For the night, the choices are a hotel on Hulhumalé, which is joined to the airport by a causeway and has plenty of mid-range options, or a first night at one of the resorts near Malé that run speedboats after dark. For ease, I would recommend staying near the airport.
At Malé airport: from international arrivals to the seaplane
Check-in and the bus to the terminal
- Clear immigration and collect your bags.
- Find your resort’s counter in the arrivals hall. Staff from our hotels met us there both times.
- Go to the Trans Maldivian check-in counter, which is now inside the arrivals building rather than at the seaplane terminal. You check in and hand over your checked bags here, and you don’t see them again until the resort jetty.
- Take the bus or resort vehicle to Noovilu Seaplane Terminal, a few minutes away. The terminal is new since my first trip.
- Wait in a lounge until staff call your gate.
Trans Maldivian’s conditions ask you to be at the departure point 45 minutes before the flight, but in practice the resort staff walk you through every step and you won’t be left to work out timings yourself.
The lounges
V Villas has its own lounge at the terminal, like many of the 5 star hotels, and we spent just under two hours in it on the way out. It had complimentary snacks, hot and cold drinks, games, a TV and a balcony looking out over the planes. Two hours passed easily.
If your resort doesn’t have its own lounge, it will either have an arrangement with Trans Maldivian’s Coral Lounge, which has a buffet, showers and a quiet zone with recliners, or you’ll wait in the Neeri Lounge, which is open to every seaplane passenger and has drinks and Wi-Fi, with food to buy.
Boarding
Staff call your gate, you get a short safety briefing, then you walk down the floating docks to the plane. There are no assigned seats. Hand luggage goes to the back of the cabin unless you ask to keep it.
What the flight is like
On board
The planes are all Twin Otters, about 15 seats in a one-and-two layout, two fans at the front and no air conditioning, so it’s warm on the ground and fine once you’re up. The engines are loud and the crew hand out earplugs. Keep them, because on our second trip nobody handed out a second pair for the flight home.
The pilots fly in shorts and flip flops, several kick off their flip flops so they’re barefoot at the controls, a first for me to witness! The cockpit is completely open, so if you sit at the front you can watch everything they do. Our flight to V Villas was 30 minutes with no stops; shared flights sometimes drop passengers at another resort first.
I’m 6ft2 (188cm) and legroom varies by seat. The first seat I sat in was tight so I moved. There’s more room at the front, which is where I ended up both ways, and headroom was fine everywhere. It’s a small plane and you feel the movements and the bumps more than on a jet.
If you’re a nervous flyer and seeing what’s going on helps, I recommend you sit by a window, or at the front where you can see out through the cockpit. If you’d rather not know, sit as far back as you can. The view is distraction enough for most people, have your camera ready for some nice photos.
The landing and getting to the island
The landing was far smoother than I expected, less of a jolt than a normal plane. The plane stops on the lagoon and a boat from the resort takes you to the jetty. At both resorts I’ve stayed at that was a couple of minutes. Some resorts have a pier the plane pulls up to instead.
We really enjoyed watching the planes land during our stay too, it’s impressive to see and a real novelty for those not used to sea planes.
What to keep in your hand luggage
Nothing much. It’s a short flight and I didn’t need anything from my bag. Put the earplugs and your phone in a pocket before you board and leave the rest in the bag is my advice. If you tend to get hot, a hand fan isn’t a bad idea, especially if you’re on a busy flight.
Seaplane vs speedboat vs domestic flight
Which transfer your resort uses
You don’t choose the transfer, the resort does, so the real decision is which resort. As a rule, resorts within about 40 minutes of Malé by boat use speedboats, which run after dark and cost less. Resorts an hour or more away by boat use seaplanes. The far north and south atolls use a domestic flight to a regional airport followed by a short speedboat.
| Transfer | Typical journey time | Operates | Typical cost per person return | Baggage | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seaplane | 20 to 60 minutes | Daylight only, roughly 06:00 to mid-afternoon departures | $400 to $700 (£300 to £525), ours was $620 (£465) | 20kg plus 5kg hand | Resorts an hour or more from Malé by boat |
| Speedboat | 15 to 60 minutes | Day and night | Varies by resort | Set by the resort | Resorts close to Malé, late arrivals |
| Domestic flight plus speedboat | 30 to 90 minutes plus a short boat | Domestic flights operate after dark | Varies by resort | Airline allowance plus boat | Far north and south atolls |
Who should skip the seaplane
A toddler will struggle with the noise and the cramped cabin. Anyone who gets motion sick will find it bumpier than a jet. And if your international flight lands in the evening and you’d rather not lose a night, a speedboat resort near Malé gets you there the same day.
Leaving: the seaplane back to Malé
Departure day at the resort
Our bags were collected from the villa 45 minutes before the seaplane. We left them unlocked in the room and went to breakfast. We settled the bill 20 minutes before the flight, walked down to the boat, and the bags were already on the plane when we got there.
Back at Malé
A resort member of staff met us as we landed at the seaplane terminal, put us on a shared shuttle to the international terminal, and the bags were brought to us there. They walked us to the check-in desk and we checked in as normal. We didn’t touch a big bag once, which was quite a nice service to end the holiday.
Maldives seaplane FAQs
Are Maldives seaplanes safe?
Yes. Trans Maldivian operates under the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority and carries over a million passengers a year on scheduled resort transfers. It’s a small plane and it feels like one, so expect engine noise and bumps you wouldn’t notice on a jet, but that’s the size of the aircraft, not a safety problem.
Can I choose my seat?
No, seats on a Maldives seaplane are first come first served. Be near the front of the queue at the gate if you want the front of the plane, which has the most legroom and the view through the open cockpit.
Is there a toilet on the seaplane?
No, there is no toilet on a Maldives seaplane. Use the one at the terminal before boarding. Most flights are under an hour.
Can I book the seaplane myself?
No, Maldives seaplane transfers can’t be booked directly. Trans Maldivian takes resort transfer bookings only through the resorts, and there’s no online booking. The resort adds it when you book and bills you. The exceptions are a private charter, which you ask the resort for at the time of booking, and a small number of walk-in seats at individual rates that can’t be reserved in advance and are arranged by emailing Trans Maldivian directly.
Do seaplanes fly in bad weather?
Maldives seaplanes fly in rain but not after dark, and they’ll hold on the ground for storms. Our outbound flight was delayed an hour in two 30-minute steps, and the person looking after our lounge kept us informed throughout. Trans Maldivian’s conditions allow delays or cancellations for storms and fog, with a refund if a flight is cancelled.
Can babies and children go on the seaplane?
Yes, children of any age can fly on a Maldives seaplane. Under-twos travel free on a parent’s lap, with no seat of their own and no baggage allowance. Children from two to eleven pay a child fare set by the resort, often about half the adult price, and from twelve they pay the adult fare. There’s no minimum age. The noise is the thing to plan for: the crew hand out earplugs, but for a baby or a noise-sensitive child bring ear defenders or headphones that fit.
Is the seaplane worth it?
Yes. It costs more than a boat and it ties you to daylight, but it’s half an hour over the atolls watching two pilots fly it barefoot, and I’d book a seaplane resort again without thinking about it. Some of the best resorts I’ve found need a sea plane to get to them.
My strong advice is, don’t pick a resort just for the seaplane, resort is the most important part of your trip, but if you have two you like equally, and costs are similar, a sea plane is a fun thing to do and I’d choose it over a speedboat.
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