Revenue collected from the airport development fee and the departure tax during the first five months of the year rose by 21.1 per cent compared to the previous year, the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority reported in its latest statistics.
The two distinct levies, imposed on passengers departing from airports within the Maldives for international destinations, generated a combined USD 116.73 million during the five-month period, up from the USD 97.28 million collected during the corresponding timeframe last year, according to the authority’s report.
The departure tax alone accounted for USD 60.18 million, representing a 20.6 per cent growth from the USD 49.87 million recorded a year prior, the data indicates. The airport development fee yielded USD 61.09 million during the first five months of 2026, marking a 21.6 per cent jump from the USD 50.19 million collected in the identical period of 2025.
Formally initiated on 1 January 2022, the departure tax is levied on outbound travellers, though several exemptions are maintained. Those legally excused from paying the tax include individuals possessing diplomatic immunity, transit passengers, and children under two years of age.
The airport development fee, introduced on 1 May 2017, is charged to every passenger flying internationally out of Velana International Airport. Exemptions for the development fee apply solely to individuals granted diplomatic immunity and those classified strictly as direct transit passengers.