Maldives seaplane baggage
Twenty-five kilos, and they do weigh it.
Roughly half what your long-haul ticket allowed. Most people find this out at the counter, which is the worst possible moment.
The allowance
Trans Maldivian Airways allows 20 kg of checked baggage and 5 kg of hand baggage per passenger: 25 kg in total. No single bag may weigh more than 32 kg, which is a handling limit rather than an allowance - it applies even if you have spare kilos elsewhere.
Excess is charged at about USD 5 per kilo plus tax, payable at the counter. Infants under two get no allowance of their own, which catches families out more than any other rule here.
Why it is this tight
Because this is a fifteen-seat unpressurised aircraft on floats, and it is weight-and-balance critical. The allowance is not a revenue device; it is the reason the aeroplane can get off the water. That is also why passengers are weighed as well as bags at check-in. It feels intrusive the first time and it is entirely routine.
What happens if you are over
You pay at the counter and you fly. Nobody is left behind over a few kilos. But the charge is per kilo and it adds up quickly, so if you are travelling heavy there are three honest options: pay it, redistribute between passengers if someone in your party is under, or leave a bag in Malé and collect it on the way home.
Tell us before you travel and we can at least make sure nothing is a surprise.
Two specific cases
Dive gear and oversized sports equipment. Surfboards and similar oversized items will not go on a scheduled seaplane at all - they require a charter. If you are bringing boards, tell us early, because it changes the whole plan rather than just the price.
Smart luggage. Permitted only with the lithium batteries completely removed. Not disconnected - removed.
At a glance
- 20 kgChecked baggage, per passenger
- 5 kgHand baggage, per passenger
- 25 kgTotal allowance, per passenger
- 32 kgMaximum for any single bag, regardless of allowance
- ~$5/kgExcess, plus tax, paid at the counter
- NoneAllowance for infants under two
Allowances are the operator's published figures, correct as of October 2026. We confirm yours with your booking.
Reservations
Tell us your flight.
Send your flight numbers and we will come straight back with your seaplane times, the confirmed fare and a secure link to pay by card.
$283 per adult one way, $185 per child under 12, all taxes and the boat to Dhigurah included.
or WhatsApp us - usually answered within the hour.