Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has requested passengers to arrive at the airport three hours before their flight due to expected high traffic flow, as many Umrah pilgrims who left last December are returning to the Maldives tomorrow.

In a post on X today, MACL said that due to the large number of Umrah pilgrims scheduled to return tomorrow, there will be congestion on the roads and terminal area of Velana International Airport (VIA).

MACL stated that from 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM tomorrow, an estimated 2,678 people are expected to arrive in the Maldives, including 618 Umrah pilgrims. They also mentioned that 1,372 people are scheduled to depart from the airport during these hours.

MACL also said that VIA will be congested from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. During this time, 2,071 people are expected to arrive, and 1,091 will depart, according to MACL. They added that 452 of the arriving passengers are returning from Umrah pilgrimage.

MACL has requested taxi centers and drivers to cooperate in maintaining traffic flow around the airport area while picking up and dropping off passengers during these times.