Additional flights will be launched from three airlines currently operating scheduled flights to the Maldives, increasing the number of flights to the country amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Commercial airlines are raising the number of flights as travellers seek alternative routes for transit rather than the Middle East. For instance, Swiss airline, Edelweiss has decided to increase the number of flights from Zurich to Male’ from four to five during April and May months, in accordance with the increase in demand for direct flights to the Maldives.
Air India is also expanding international operations, with 78 more flights finalised for nine destinations including the Maldives. The airline has stated that A320 neo airplanes will be used for these new flights, adding 17,600 new seats to their network. The flights will not be travelling through airspaces affected by the conflict, to facilitate reliable travel opportunities for both tourists and businessmen.
Moreover, Russian airline, Aeroflot has increased flights to several destinations, namely Moscow, Male’, Phucket and Colombo. The airline has informed that this change was due to increased demand from tourists, to increase prospects for travel amid flight disruptions due to the Middle East conflict.
In addition to scheduled flights, flights to the Maldives from other airlines and private jets are also on the rise.
Data from Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has shown that a total of 128 private jets have landed in the country between February 28th and March 14th. This is a 166 percent increase from the 70 jets having landed in the previous year. The company highlighted that this shows the priority of affluent tourists to select Maldives as their preferred destination.
In addition to Velana International Airport (VIA), Maafaru Airport has become a major hub for private jets. During peak season for tourism, 25 jets were parked on this airport’s apron simultaneously. After a major development project, Maafaru Airport can now support up to 800 flight movements per year.
Despite the disruptions in some important transit zones, the increased travel for business and private jets uplifts the nation as a top tourist destination. Furthermore, due to the established private aviation infrastructure and various flight routes available to the country, the Maldives maintains its resilience as an easily accessible tourist destination, for both ordinary and luxury travellers, despite the ever-changing global environment.