Island Aviation Services Limited (IASL), which operates the national airline Maldivian, has stated the financial condition of the airline is improving after the hardships encountered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking to PSM News, Deputy Managing Director of IASL Aishath Jennifer noted the COVID-19 pandemic hit hard on the global aviation sector, with every airline in the world suffering heavy losses as borders closed and international flight operations got suspended. Jennifer said the national airline worked to overcome the difficulties without laying off any staff, despite the financial burden. She noted IASL received a lot of assistance from the government to overcome the COVID-19 situation.
Speaking further, Jennifer said the company is currently on the path to recovery from the effects of the pandemic. She said the increasing number of tourist arrivals presents hope that the airline will soon generate net profits once again.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the national airline had been operating international flights to several destinations, including six destinations of China. However, with Chinese borders still closed, the airline has not been able to resume these operations. The airline is conducting market studies to commence international flight operations to more destinations.