Bahrain’s national airline, Gulf Air has announced it will resume direct flights to and from Velana International Airport (VIA) in Maldives.
Gulf Air said the airline will conduct two weekly flights to VIA starting from December 12. The flights will be operated by the airline's newest Airbus 321neoLR which features 150 seats in economy class and 16 flat-bed seats in Falcon Gold class.
Gulf Air's first flight to the Maldives landed in Male on October 27, 2019 and it has been the airline's key boutique destination in the Indian Ocean. The airline currently flies to and from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait, Jeddah, Dammam, Medina, Muscat, Cairo, Amman, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Athens, Manila, Dhaka and several destinations in India and Pakistan.
Maldives reopened its borders for tourists on July 15, more than three months after borders were closed due to COVID-19. Tourist arrivals have been increasing steadily since borders were reopened.