Minister of Tourism and Environment, Thoriq Ibrahim has stated that flight cancellations have decreased while seat occupancy has increased.
Speaking at a press conference, Minister Thoriq highlighted government efforts to reduce the impact of the Middle East conflict on Maldivian tourism. In his remarks, the minister said tourist arrivals were strong earlier in the year, reaching record levels in the first two months. However, a dip in arrivals was recorded in March, he noted.
Despite the dip, airline seat capacity and occupancy have now risen significantly, he said. The number of flights cancelled per day has now reduced to 16 from 20, he noted.
According to statistics, seat occupancy of flights to the Maldives increased from 65 percent in March 2025 to 70 percent in March this year. This reflects increased demand.
Major airlines that operated to the Maldives in March saw sharp increases in occupancy compared to the previous year.
- Aeroflot: from 80 percent to 95 percent
- Virgin Atlantic: from 84 percent to 94 percent
- Turkish Airlines: from 77 percent to 92 percent
- SriLankan Airlines: from 55 percent to 79 percent
- Singapore Airlines: from 64 percent to 78 percent
The minister said this shows flights to the Maldives are highly occupied.
The minister stressed that demand for travel remains strong, even with fewer airlines operating. This shows continued interest in the Maldives from tourists, he added.