Qatar Airways has announced a special flight will be operating to the Maldives on April 21.
The special flight will grant opportunities for foreign nationals to fly out of the Maldives to other cities despite the travel restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The cities offered by Qatar Airways include London, Paris, and Frankfurt. Qatar Airways revealed QR 675 will be departing from Velana International Airport (VIA) at 1500hrs on April 21.
The airline is also offering maximum flexibility to passengers in terms of managing their travel plans. Passengers that have booked or are planning to book tickets for travel up to 30 September 2020 can alter their travel dates free of charge, exchange their tickets for a future travel voucher valid for one year or get a refund.
About 938 tourists are stranded in 27 resorts in the Maldives due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to statistics of the Ministry of Tourism. These include 200 tourists wishing to leave the Maldives but are stuck due to the travel restrictions while others are willingly staying in the Maldives due to the curfews and restrictions imposed in their respective countries.