Hulhulé Island
Hulhulé (ހުޅުލެ), located at 4°11′N 73°32′E, is an island in the North Malé Atoll of the Maldives where the city's airport, Velana International Airport, is located. The island has no permanent population.[1]
Hulhule | |
|---|---|
District of Malé City | |
  Hulhule Location in Maldives | |
| Coordinates: 4.1875°N 73.5292°E | |
| Country | Maldives |
| Geographic atoll | North Malé Atoll |
| Government | |
| • Council | Malé City Council |
| Population | |
| • Total | 0 |
| Time zone | UTC+05:00 (MST) |
It is one of the islands closest to the capital island Malé. Hulhulé is considered a ward of Malé.
The 2.1km 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 Velana International Airport is located on this island along with some official premises, e.g. Maldivian Bureau of Meteorology. The airport is served internationally by various holiday charter flights (mostly from Europe) and several scheduled carriers including Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, British Airways, Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and Sri Lankan Airlines. In addition to serving as an international and domestic airport, Hulhule 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 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 Islamic regulation that did not recognise communities with fewer than 40 adult males who could form a quorum at the Friday prayers.
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 district.
Location within Malé City
The airport island Hulhulé is located northeast of Malé 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.
See also
- Hulhumalé artificial island connected by road with Hulhulé Island
- Malé capital city which links a bridge to Hulhulé
References
- Hulhulé Archived 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine, Isles website, official Maldives government website