Private jet to Addu Atoll

Addu, also known by its administrative name Seenu, is the southernmost atoll of the Maldives and lies just south of the equator, about 540 km from Malé. Unlike most resort atolls it has an international airport inside its own lagoon: Gan, a former military airfield with a runway built for airliners. A business jet can fly there directly from Europe, the Gulf or Asia, and the resorts are a few minutes away by boat.

Arriving this way also removes the longest part of the usual journey. Travellers on scheduled flights change at Velana and take a domestic flight south, which the Addu resorts put at 70 to 95 minutes. Maldives Private Jet, which books aircraft from operators with an Air Operator Certificate, arranges both the direct flight to Gan and, where it suits the group better, a landing at Velana with a connection.

An atoll with a city

Addu is more than a group of resort islands. Its inhabited islands form Addu City, the second-largest urban area of the Maldives after Malé. The Addu Link Road, a 16 km causeway and the second-longest paved causeway in the country, joins Hithadhoo, Maradhoo, Maradhoo-Feydhoo, Feydhoo and Gan, so the airport island is connected by road to the main town. Hithadhoo, the westernmost island, is the administrative centre and has the largest population.

For visitors this means more choice than in a typical atoll: an island resort reached by boat, a hotel on the airport island itself, or a guesthouse in town. Outside the resorts, local rules apply: no alcohol is sold, and modest dress is expected in the villages. The page on rules for visitors to the Maldives lists them, together with customs restrictions.

Where to stay and the transfer from Gan

Shangri-La Villingili reopened after a closure that lasted about five years, so check the dates you want directly with us or with the resort before planning the flight. Transfer times above are those published by the resorts and by the Discover Addu guide; each resort books the boat for its own guests once it has the landing time. More about the airport itself, its runway and its use as a parking airport, is in our Gan airport guide for private jets.

Wartime history and the British Loyalty

Royal Navy engineers built the first airstrips on Gan during the Second World War, and causeways were later built between Gan and the western islands as far as Hithadhoo. After the war the base passed to the Royal Air Force and remained in use until the British forces withdrew; the story of the airfield is told on the Gan airport page.

One relic of those years now draws divers. The British Loyalty, a tanker of almost 7,000 tons, was torpedoed by a German submarine near the Gan channel and was later scuttled south-east of Hithadhoo. She lies on her starboard side in 33 m of water. Corals, fusiliers, trevally, moray eels and green turtles live on the hull, the bronze propeller sits at about 23 m under a growth of black coral, and two large holes lead into the interior. Because of the depth, the wreck is a dive for experienced divers; ask the dive centre of your resort about trips.

A Biosphere Reserve on the equator

UNESCO has declared Addu a Biosphere Reserve, together with nearby Fuvahmulah; Baa is the third in the country. Inside the atoll, Eedhigali Kilhi is one of the largest wetlands in the Maldives and attracts hundreds of migratory birds every year, among them the white tern, called dhondheeni locally and found mostly in the Addu region. Kudakandu in the lagoon and several wetlands on Hithadhoo and Hulhudhoo are protected areas.

The flat islands along the Link Road are easy to explore by bicycle, which gives a day out that most resort atolls cannot offer. Ideas for the rest of the country are collected on our page about activities across the Maldives.

Ways to fly to Addu

Guide prices to Gan

Guide prices, one way and for the whole aircraft, excluding passenger taxes and fees. No flight in this table needs a fuel stop:

Split between ten passengers, the Gulfstream from Paris comes to €13,500 each, and eight passengers in the Legacy 650 from Dubai pay €6,000 each, before taxes. The Mumbai to the Maldives route, for one, also lists lighter jets, and the page about private flights from London compares several jets for the long flight from Europe.

Gan or Velana: the Challenger 350 compared

Seating at most 10, the super midsize Challenger 350 keeps the cost down. Flying it to Gan instead of Velana changes the price and time as follows:

Gan costs €3,000 to €4,000 more than Velana from these cities, and the same from Singapore, where the two flights differ by only three minutes. Against that, landing in Malé means the domestic flight south, the connection time at Velana and the separate fare for the domestic leg. For a family or a group heading straight to Addu, the direct flight is usually the simpler and faster plan.

Prices fall further with flexible dates: Empty Legs are usually 30 to 60 % cheaper than an ordinary charter, and on shared flights seats are paid only when the group fills up.

Planning the flight

1. Brief usTell us who is travelling, the dates, the resort in Addu and any sports equipment. You receive several aircraft options, with Gan and Velana compared when the difference is worth knowing.
2. Paperwork for the aircraftThe operator, or the handling agent it appoints, obtains the Civil Aviation Authority permit and the prior permission for Gan. In the high season, November to March, a month of notice is the safe minimum.
3. Paperwork for the passengersEach passport must carry a machine-readable zone and stay valid for at least one more month, and each traveller submits the IMUGA declaration during the 96 hours before landing.
4. Boat to the resortOnce the flight is booked we give the resort the landing time and the passenger list, and the resort arranges its boat at Gan.
5. Charges on the way homeForeign passengers of a private jet are each charged US$480 departure tax and US$480 airport development fee when they leave; the quote lists both.

Calmer seas usually come with the north-east monsoon, between December and April; the south-west monsoon, May to November, brings more rain and wind. For travel over Christmas or New Year, the peak for private jets, start the request early.

Questions about private jets to Addu Atoll

• • Can a private jet fly directly to Addu?

  • Yes. Gan International Airport, inside the atoll, handles international arrivals and private aircraft. From London a Gulfstream G650 takes 10 h 27 min without a stop.

• • How far is Addu from Malé?

  • About 540 km. By scheduled domestic flight the journey takes 70 to 95 minutes, plus the connection at Velana.

• • Which resorts are in Addu?

  • Shangri-La's Villingili Resort and Spa, Canareef Resort and South Palm Resort, all reached by boat from Gan in about 10 minutes or less. Equator Village is on Gan itself.

• • Do we need a seaplane to reach Addu resorts?

  • No. Transfers go by boat from the jetty at Gan, so a landing in the evening is possible if the resort still runs a boat at that hour.

• • Is it cheaper to fly to Malé and take a domestic flight?

  • The jet usually costs a few thousand euros less to Velana, but the domestic flight, its fare and the waiting time come on top. For most groups heading only to Addu, flying straight to Gan is the better plan.

• • What does a private flight from Dubai to Gan cost?

  • The whole Legacy 650 costs €48,000 one way, with a flight time of 4 h 39 min without a stop. A Challenger 350 costs €37,000.

• • What is there to do in Addu besides the beach?

  • Diving, including the British Loyalty wreck, cycling along the Link Road, and birdwatching at the Eedhigali Kilhi wetland in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

• • Can we combine Addu with Sri Lanka?

  • Yes. Colombo is about two hours from Gan by light jet, and the regional legs are priced on the Gan airport page.