A Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA) cabin crew member is in critical condition on ventilator support in intensive care after a seaplane accident at Velana International Airport's water aerodrome on Wednesday afternoon, November 11. The Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) said the incident happened at about 2:25 p.m. local time while the seaplane was taxiing in the water towards the seaplane terminal, when one of the aircraft's two floats was damaged.

Source: Maldives Ledger, Nov 11, 2026

Local media reports said the crew member was injured after becoming trapped between the seaplane and the dock; the Times of Maldives reported he had been working on the aircraft's pontoon when he fell into the water. He was taken to Tree Top Hospital in Hulhumalé, where he remains in the intensive care unit on a ventilator. The exact nature of his injuries has not been disclosed. One report also said a wing of the aircraft was damaged, and the aircraft was left partially submerged and tilted in the water as water entered it.

Source: R24 Maldives, Nov 11, 2026

TMA confirmed that all passengers and crew on board were evacuated safely after the accident and said an investigation is under way to establish what happened. MACL said its airport emergency services responded to the scene and took the necessary measures, and confirmed that operations at the water aerodrome continued as normal, with no disruption to seaplane services.

Source: Times of Maldives, Nov 12, 2026

Why Velana's seaplane terminal matters

Velana International Airport, serving the capital Malé, runs one of the world's busiest seaplane operations: TMA's Twin Otter floatplanes are the main transfer link between the international airport and the Maldives' scattered resort islands, carrying tourists and workers across the atolls every day. An accident at the airport's own water aerodrome — rather than at a remote island jetty — is therefore a significant safety event for the country's tourism lifeline, and investigators will examine both the damaged float and the dockside working procedures around moving aircraft.

What happens next

TMA's investigation, and any inquiry by Maldivian aviation authorities, will establish how the float was damaged and how the crew member came to be trapped. The airline has not announced any suspension of operations, and MACL says the water aerodrome is working normally while the injured crew member remains in critical condition in hospital.