Domestic flight prices held flat for three years to protect island tourism, Civil Aviation Minister says

Domestic airfares in the Maldives have remained unchanged over the past three years despite steep price increases across global airlines, Mohamed Ameen, the Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, said.

Speaking during an 'Ahaa' town-hall forum, Minister Ameen addressed public concerns regarding domestic travel expenses and regional tourism development. Participants had underscored that elevated domestic flight rates create operational hurdles for island-based guesthouses and impede tourist arrivals, prompting inquiries into when domestic airfares would be lowered.

Surging global oil and aviation fuel prices have compelled international carriers to raise ticket costs by 30 to 40 per cent, Minister Ameen explained, noting that domestic routes were deliberately insulated from inflationary adjustments throughout the three-year period.

"Over the past three years, we have not increased the price of any domestic flight ticket or the fare for any sector," Minister Ameen affirmed, maintaining that fares were not raised in response to fuel price volatility. Ticket costs for passengers travelling for island guesthouses and related tourism business, he noted, have now been reduced below their previous levels.

Acknowledging that external economic shocks inevitably affect the island nation, Minister Ameen underscored that official administration policy prioritises protecting citizens from escalating living costs to the maximum extent possible.

Aviation operators submitted repeated proposals to adjust airfares to offset mounting cost pressures, yet President Dr Mohamed Muizzu intervened on three separate occasions to reverse proposed price hikes, Minister Ameen disclosed. The president instructed airline managements to pursue revenue growth through alternative mechanisms, ensuring that individual residents, local guesthouses, and the broader tourism sector remain fully protected from tariff increases.