Maldivian, the national airline of the Maldives, is set to enhance its service to India with a significant increase in flight frequency to two key southern Indian destinations.
Starting 19 December, the airline will increase its weekly flights to Trivandrum and Cochin from the current four to five services per week. This expansion aims to cater to the growing demand for travel between the Maldives and India.
The national carrier has already opened ticket bookings for these additional flights. Currently, Maldivian operates scheduled flights to five international destinations, comprising three cities in China and two in India. This latest adjustment underscores the airline's commitment to strategic route expansion and strengthening its presence in key regional markets.
The enhanced service is bolstered by the introduction of Maldivian's wide-body aircraft, which has proven instrumental in the airline's operational growth.
Since its integration into the fleet on 22 January, this aircraft, an Airbus A330-200 with a seating capacity of 264 passengers, has facilitated a remarkable increase in passenger and cargo carriage. The wide-body aircraft, a fulfillment of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu's electoralpledge, has completed 140 flights to date, serving three countries. These flights have seen 117 journeys to three Chinese destinations, 14 to Saudi Arabia, and nine to India.
Cumulatively, Maldivian's wide-body aircraft has transported over 46,000 passengers and an impressive 1,159,000 tonnes of cargo across its network. Island Aviation Services Limited (IAS), the operator of Maldivian, has revealed plans to introduce another wide-body aircraft next year to further expand its service offerings to new international destinations. The airline is actively exploring potential new markets, with South Korea and South Africa reportedly topping the list of possible expansion.