Hulhulé Island Explained

Hulhulé
Native Name Lang:dv
Settlement Type:District of Malé City
Pushpin Map:Maldives
Pushpin Relief:yes
Pushpin Mapsize:150
Pushpin Label Position:left
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Maldives
Coordinates:4.1875°N 73.5292°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Maldives
Subdivision Type1:Geographic atoll
Subdivision Name1:North Malé Atoll
Subdivision Type2:Administrative atoll
Subdivision Type3:Distance to Malé
Seat Type:Capital
Parts Type:Geographic atolls
Parts Style:list
Leader Title:Council
Leader Name:Malé City Council
Leader Title3:Mayor
Leader Title4:Island Chief
Unit Pref:Metric
Population Total:0
Population Density Km2:auto
Utc Offset:+05:00
Postal Code Type:Assigned Letter
Postal2 Code Type:Assigned Letter
Area Code Type:Area code(s)
Blank Name Sec2:Number of Islands
Blank1 Name Sec2:Inhabited
Blank2 Name Sec2:Uninhabited
Blank3 Name Sec2:Total

Hulhulé (Divehi; Dhivehi; Maldivian: ހުޅުލެ), located at 4.1833°N 105°W, 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]

It is one of the islands closest to the capital island Malé. Hulhulé is considered a ward of Malé.

The 2.1km (01.3miles) 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

See main article: Velana International Airport. The Velana International Airport is located on this island along with some official premises, e.g. Maldives Meteorological Service.[2] 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, 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 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

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hulhule . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110722223635/http://www.isles.egov.mv/Island/?lid=2&id=444 . 22 July 2011 . Isles.
  2. Web site: Contact Us . 19 June 2024 . Maldives Meteorological Service.