The amendment to the Airport Taxes and Fees Act, affecting passengers departing from the Maldives, came into effect today.
Under the new regulations, the Airport Development Fee will apply to passengers traveling from Velana International Airport. However, only the departure tax will be levied on passengers departing from international airports in other parts of the country.
The amendment raises airport development taxes and fees for foreign travellers. The fee for economy class passengers will increase from USD 30 to USD 50, while business class fares will rise from USD 50 to USD 120. First-class fares will jump from USD 90 to USD 240, and fees for private jets will increase from USD 120 to USD 480.
These changes are part of the government's broader fiscal reform agenda, with the Ministry of Finance estimating an overall revenue increase of USD 169 million.
Despite these adjustments, the fees for Maldivian passengers traveling in economy class will remain unchanged. According to the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA), 97.8% of passengers who travelled abroad last year were in economy class, while 90.2% of foreign travellers also flew in economy class. In 2023, MIRA collected USD 65.5 million in Airport Development Fees and USD 64.1 million in departure taxes.