Seaplane versus speedboat — the real calculus at 120 km out.
Why the more expensive option is often the safer one, and the two routes where it isn't.
If your property is more than 90 km from Malé, you're probably flying. If it's closer, you might still be flying — not because you have to, but because the speedboat trade-off on that distance is worse than people think.
When the seaplane wins
Travel time matters less than arrival condition. A speedboat at 40 knots in a 2-metre swell turns a 90-minute transfer into something half your party will be ill from. The seaplane costs more but puts you on the dock alert.
When the speedboat wins
North Malé at night. South Malé close-in. A seaplane cannot land after sundown, so any arrival after about 16:00 local will be a forced overnight in Malé unless you pre-book a night transfer by speedboat. Plan the outbound around this, not the inbound.