Airport-related taxes and fees see 30% increase compared to last year

Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) reports that revenue generated from the Airport Development Fee and Departure Tax so far this year accounts for a 30 percent increase compared to the same period in the previous year.

According to official statistics released by MIRA, a total of MVR 1.1 billion was collected from these two sources over the first three months of the year.

In this regard, MVR 871 million was collected as Airport Development Fee and Departure Tax during the first quarter of last year. While MVR 1.1 billion was collected during the same period this year, it represents a 30 percent increase.

A detailed breakdown shows that revenue from Departure Tax for the first three months of this year amounted to MVR 563 million, reflecting a 29.4 percent increase compared to the MVR 435 million collected during the corresponding period last year. The Departure Tax on passengers departing from Maldivian airports was introduced on January 1, 2022.

Meanwhile, MVR 573 million was collected as Airport Development Fee during the first quarter of this year, representing a 31.2 percent increase from the MVR 437 million recorded during the same period last year. The Airport Development Fee has been levied on all passengers departing internationally from Velana International Airport since May 2017.

Exemptions from the Departure Tax are applicable to individuals possessing diplomatic immunity, transit passengers, and children under the age of two. Similarly, exemptions from the Airport Development Fee apply to individuals with diplomatic immunity and “direct transit” passengers.