Malaysian budget airline, Batik Air, has begun flights to the Maldives
The first flight of Batik Air arrived on May 12 at Velana International Airport (VIA) with 57 passengers on board and was greeted with a ceremonial water salute.
The Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) revealed that Batik Air will operate daily flights to the Maldives. The flights will include direct flights from Malaysia to the Maldives, as well as transit flights connecting Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. Direct flights between the Maldives and Malaysia are scheduled to start by the end of June. The airline, which previously operated under the name of MalindoAir, has switched to Batik Air and has launched a number of special promotions to fly to more destinations.
Batik Airlines operates flights to 52 destinations worldwide. The airline will utilise Boeing 737 Max aircraft for its trips to the Maldives. The increase in airlines flying to the Maldives will also further boost the tourism sector. In addition to Batik Airlines, Saudi Arabia's Flynas and United States (US) airline Virgin Atlantic are also preparing to introduce flights to VIA.