Maldivian Airlines has added over 200 flights beyond its regular schedule to accommodate the surge in travelers during the upcoming Eid holidays, Chief government spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef has revealed.
The national carrier is ramping up operations significantly as hundreds of passengers prepare to travel between islands to celebrate with their families during this peak festive period. The move comes as part of a coordinated effort to address the annual challenge of securing tickets during one of the busiest travel periods in the Maldivian calendar.
At a press conference held as part of the 'Presser with the Spox' series, Hussain Shareef addressed concerns raised by journalists regarding the difficulty many citizens face in obtaining tickets during the Eid period. The spokesperson acknowledged that the increased traffic during Eid is a predictable annual phenomenon that the airlines prepare for well in advance.
"The increase in traffic during the Eid holidays is seen every year. So the airlines are preparing for this in advance,” he said.
According to the figures presented at the press conference, a total of 1,277 flight movements have been scheduled from 17 May through 2 June, covering the entire Eid holiday period. Of these movements, 1,014 fall within the airline's regular schedule, while the remaining 213 represent additional off-schedule flights specifically arranged to meet the heightened demand. The spokesman emphasised that Maldivian is providing this expanded service primarily as a general public service rather than a purely commercial enterprise. Hussain Shareef explained the reasoning behind this approach, noting the unique travel patterns that emerge during the holiday period.
"There is a trend in this. If you look at the business model, sometimes it may not be feasible. But it is considered as a service,” he said.
He illustrated this point by describing the imbalance in passenger loads between different routes, particularly highlighting that flights from Male' to Addu City are consistently full during the holidays, while return flights often carry significantly fewer passengers until subsequent departures also reach capacity.
The national airline's projections indicate that one in five flights during this period represents an increase compared to normal operating months. Despite this substantial expansion, Hussain Shareef noted that the current number of flights cannot be increased further. The airline estimates that it will sell around 64,000 seats during the Eid holiday period alone, with demand continuing to grow year after year even as the carrier operates at full capacity.
The government is responding to this sustained growth in domestic travel demand by establishing regional transport networks to strengthen the domestic transport system further. These networks will operate within designated provinces and will utilise Twin Otter aircraft specifically designed for seaplane operations. The service has already been launched in the southern region, with plans to expand connectivity across other atolls in the coming months.