Maldives launches five electric hydrofoil boats for Airport Transfer

The Maldives will begin airport transfer service later this year with five electric hydrofoil boats, launching the first phase of a planned transport network linking Velana International Airport to resorts, private islands, local communities and villas. The project is being developed under a $100 million partnership between Navier and JIH Global Investment.

Companies involved in the rollout say the fleet could grow to as many as 100 electric hydrofoil boats over the next three years. Each vessel is designed to travel up to 75 nautical miles on electric power, with air-conditioned cabins, lounge-style seating, Starlink satellite internet and software for digital booking and journey management.

Velana Airport routes

Mohamed Ali Janah, chairman of JIH Global Investment, said the Maldives has an opportunity to help define what the future of waterborne transportation looks like. He added that the project could build a cleaner, more seamless network connecting airports, resorts, villas and islands, and extend the model to island nations and coastal cities around the world.

The companies say the system is intended to create the world’s first full electric hydrofoil transport network. Navier says around 3,000 petrol-powered boats currently operate across the Maldives, where most resort travel depends on boats because many properties sit on private islands. The country welcomed more than 2.2 million visitors in 2025.

Navier and JIH Global Investment

Hydrofoils lift the hull above the water and require less energy than conventional boats. Navier says the Maldives project is part of a push toward the country’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

Sampriti Bhattacharyya, founder and chief executive of Navier, described the fleet as a “sustainable luxury transportation network.” The company also says similar hydrofoil networks could eventually expand to Miami, New York, San Francisco Bay, Nantucket and the Hamptons.

For passengers, the immediate change is practical: a new electric option for transfers between the airport and island destinations, with booking and onboard connectivity built into the vessels from the start. The first five boats will test that network before any broader expansion follows.