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Search round tripsInternational route MLE to DAC
Cheap flights from Male to Dhaka
Both airlines fly Male to Dhaka nonstop in about 4 hours 5 minutes, for workers heading home and holidaymakers alike.
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FlightsEconomy
MLE
Male
DAC
Dhaka
- Distance
- 2,837 km
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Everything you should know
Male to Dhaka flight guide
Flying from Male to Dhaka
In short
Both airlines fly nonstop from Velana International Airport in Malé (MLE) to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka (DAC): US-Bangla Airlines and Maldivian. The 2,837 km flight takes about 4 hours 5 minutes, and it carries Bangladeshi workers going home on leave alongside holidaymakers finishing a Maldives trip.
BS338 five times a week or Q2502 twice weekly
US-Bangla flies BS338 about five times a week with 30 kg of checked baggage. Maldivian, the national carrier, brought the route back in March 2026 and flies Q2502 twice a week on an Airbus A320, a single-aisle jet with around 180 seats in its typical layout, with 20 kg checked. Both limit the cabin bag to 7 kg. If you are carrying months of belongings, that 10 kg gap matters.
Both fly nonstop, so you board at Velana and get off at Shahjalal without a transit stop in India or Sri Lanka.
Speedboat or seaplane back to Velana
Getting to the airport is the part that needs planning. From a resort it means a speedboat or seaplane back to Hulhulé. Velana has its own seaplane terminal beside the main runway, so a transfer from the atolls ends a short walk or shuttle from international check-in. Weather can delay seaplanes, so ask the resort for a transfer that lands you with a comfortable margin.
From Malé or Hulhumalé, a taxi over the Sinamalé Bridge does the job; from Hulhumalé it is a short ride along the causeway. Ask the driver for international departures, because the domestic and seaplane terminals sit apart from the main building.
Work permit cards for Bangladeshi workers
Carry your passport and Maldivian work permit card, and check the card's expiry well before travel. If it runs out while you are home on leave, returning to the same employer can become complicated, so raise it with your employer or agent before booking.
Five hours on the clock for a four-hour flight
The Maldives keeps UTC+5 and Bangladesh UTC+6, with no summer time in either. Four hours of flying plus the hour's change means about five hours pass on the clock between pushback and landing.
Terminal 1 arrivals hall at Shahjalal
International arrivals use the ground-floor hall of the older Terminal 1 and 2 building; Terminal 3 has been under construction for years, and the civil aviation minister said in September 2026 that it will have a soft opening on 16 December 2026 and full operations in March or April 2027. Immigration can be slow when several Gulf flights land together, so keep your passport ready and tell whoever is collecting you to wait.
Uttara is the closest district, just north of the airport. For Gulshan or Banani, book Uber or Pathao from the arrivals kerb, or use the prepaid taxi kiosk by the international exit so the price is settled first; Obhai and Shohoz also operate there.
For a domestic hop, the separate single-storey terminal sits next to the international building. Collect bags, clear customs, walk across and check in again; on separate tickets, allow several hours.
Male to Dhaka flights at a glance
Two airlines operate direct flights from Male (MLE) to Dhaka (DAC). The flight takes about 4h 05m.
| Flight time | 4h 05m nonstop |
|---|---|
| Distance | 2,837 km |
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Airlines flying Male to Dhaka
2 airlines fly this route.
Type of aircraft(s) on this route
-
Airbus A320Maldivian~180 seats (typical)
Aircraft from the airlines' published schedules for the coming weeks; seat counts from the airlines' fleet information. Airlines can swap aircraft at short notice; your booking shows the aircraft for your flight.
Departure and arrival airports
MLE Velana International Airport
- Codes
- IATA MLE
- City
- Male, Maldives
DAC Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport
- Codes
- IATA DAC
- City
- Dhaka, Bangladesh
Where to stay in Dhaka
Hotels and resorts in Dhaka with guest scores, nightly prices and free cancellation.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Getting there
Yes, and many guests do. Velana has its own seaplane terminal beside the main runway on Hulhulé, so a transfer from the atolls ends a short walk or shuttle away from international check-in. Weather can delay seaplane transfers, so ask your resort to book a transfer that lands you with a comfortable margin, not a tight one.
Take a taxi over the Sinamalé Bridge, which links Malé with Hulhulé and Hulhumalé by road. From Hulhumalé it is a short ride along the causeway to the airport. Ask the driver for international departures, because Velana also has domestic and seaplane terminals that sit apart from the main building.
Uttara is the closest, just north of the airport. For Gulshan and Banani, book an Uber or Pathao from the arrivals kerb, or use the prepaid taxi kiosk near the international exit so the price is settled before you get in. Obhai and Shohoz also operate there if your usual app has no cars.
General
US-Bangla. Its allowance on this sector is 30 kg in the hold, while Maldivian allows 20 kg. Both limit the cabin bag to 7 kg. If you are bringing back several months of belongings or boxes of shopping, that gap is worth checking before you choose a ticket.
Yes. Domestic services use a separate single-storey terminal next to the international building at Shahjalal. Collect your bags, clear customs, then walk across and check in again. On separate tickets you should allow several hours, since nobody will rebook you if the Malé flight runs late.
Timing & weather
The Maldivian national carrier resumed the sector in March 2026 and flies it with an Airbus A320, a single-aisle jet with around 180 seats in its typical layout. That gave the route a second nonstop operator alongside US-Bangla, so there is now a Maldivian and a Bangladeshi airline to compare.
Your passport and your Maldivian work permit card. Look at the card's expiry date well before travel. If it runs out while you are home on leave, returning to the same employer can become complicated, so raise it with your employer or agent before you book rather than after you land in Bangladesh.
Dhaka is one hour ahead. The Maldives keeps UTC+5 and Bangladesh UTC+6, and neither country moves its clocks for summer. Add four hours of flying and one hour of time change, and you will see roughly five hours pass on the clock between pushback and landing.
Probably not yet. Terminal 3 has been under construction for years, and the civil aviation minister said in September 2026 that it will have a soft opening on 16 December 2026 and full operations in March or April 2027. Until it opens, international arrivals use the ground-floor hall of the older Terminal 1 and 2 building.
Cancellations & changes
No. Both airlines on this pair fly nonstop, so you board at Velana and get off at Shahjalal without a transit stop. A connection through a third country only makes sense if you cannot get a seat on either nonstop, and then you would need to check that country's transit rules for your passport.
Visa & documents
Several large aircraft from the Gulf often reach the international arrivals hall at around the same time, and the counters fill up quickly. There is little you can do except keep your passport and any arrival paperwork ready, and tell whoever is collecting you to wait rather than circle the car park.
