Hulhulé (), located at , is an island in the North

Malé Atoll Kaafu Atoll is the code name given to an administrative division in the Republic of Maldives which consists of the geographical atolls of Kaashidhoo Island, Gaafaru, North Malé Atoll and South Malé Atoll. As the two Malé Atolls are the main i ...

of the

Maldives The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...

where the city's airport,

Velana International Airport Velana International Airport (VIA), also known as Malé-Velana International Airport () is the main international airport in the Maldives. It is located on Hulhulé Island in the southern Malé Atoll (or Kaafu Atoll), nearby the capital island ...

, is located. The island has no permanent population. It is one of the islands closest to the capital island

Malé Malé is the capital and most populous city of the Maldives. With a population of 211,908 in 2022 within its administrative area and coterminous geographical area of , Malé is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The city i ...

. Hulhulé is considered a

ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

of Malé. The Sinamalé Bridge links the island with Malé. The bridge, which has two car lanes and separate lanes for motorcycles and pedestrians, opened on 30 August 2018.

Velana International Airport

The

is located on this island along with some official premises, e.g. Maldives Meteorological Service. The airport is served internationally by various holiday charter flights (mostly from

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) and several scheduled carriers including

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and Sri Lankan Airlines. In addition to serving as an international and domestic airport, Hulhulé is also home to the seaplane terminal operated by Trans Maldivian Airways. The island also serves as a hub for travellers wishing to connect to a domestic flight to the further outlying atolls, such as Laamu. Before the airport was built, it was the home of the aboriginal

Giraavaru people The Giraavaru people are indigenous people of the Giravaaru islands that is part of Maldives. They are considered to be the earliest island community of the Maldives, predating Buddhism and the arrival of Indo-Aryan speakers in the archipelag ...

and other settlers who resided for convenience and agricultural purposes. People who lived in Hulhulé used to commute to Malé to sell their produce. In 1968, they were forced to abandon their ancestral home on Giraavaru island under an

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

ic regulation that did not recognise communities with fewer than 40 adult males who could form a

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at the

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s. The Giraavaru people were ferried across the atoll lagoon to Hulhulé Island. When the airport was extended, they were shifted across to Malé and housed in a few blocks in newly reclaimed areas in the

Maafannu Maafannu () is a district of Malé, Maldives. Location within Malé City Maafannu is on the western portion of Malé Island: Notable Places * Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital * Maldives National University Faculty of Health Sciences * Ras ...

district.

Location within Malé City

The airport island Hulhulé is located northeast of

Island, between it and new artificial residential Hulhumalé Island, to which it is connected by a causeway.

Accommodation

One hotel, the Hulhule Island Hotel, is located on the island. This hotel is more for transit passengers over-nighting as opposed to a true resort hotel.

References

Islands of the Maldives {{Maldives-geo-stub

Velana International Airport

Location within Malé City

Accommodation

See also

References