The Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Mohamed Ameen has announced that five new destinations have been added to the Maldives' route, in a bif to enhance air connectivity amid air traffic disruptions due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The Minister provided the details during a press conference held at the President's Office. Minister Mohamed Ameen stated that due to the country’s reliance on tourism as the most consequential economic sector, the impact on Maldives due to service disruptions in flights have a significant impact on the island nation, and as such the ministry is working tirelessly to mitigate the blowback of the war in Middle East.
The Minister highlighted noted some positive developments, stating that commercial flights are slowing being operationalised once more, pointing to Emirates starting its operations once more with a few active routes. The minister also noted that key airports such as the Sharjah International Airport and Dubai International Airport has commenced travel on specific periods. The In this regard, the minister revealed that Emirates is commencing flights to Maldives.
“Throughout this situation, some commercial airlines have resumed operations. Just last night, an Emirates flight landed in the Maldives. A corridor is being operated for small-scale rescues. An Emirates flight will also land here today. Dubai International Airport and Sharjah Airport are carrying out limited operations in specific corridors. They are also coming to Maldives depending on the available capacity. These are the slow, improvements observed.” Minister Ameen detailed.
A designated team will be overseeing work done to increase tourist figures, the Minister informed. He added even without a permanent solution, this is an important measure to minimise the economic impact of the situation.
Minister Mohamed Ameen highlighted that direct routes have been introduced for five new destinations in Europe, describing it as a step forward for the Maldives’ tourism sector. He noted that flight frequencies for flights from Asia, Southeast Asia and India, as well as Aeroflot and Turkish Airlines would be increased to boost tourist numbers. Furthermore, work is being done to carry out relief operations in collaboration with European airlines, the Minister stated.
Despite the closures of Doha International Airport and Bahrain International Airport, where the greatest number of flights come to Maldives, Muscat International Airport remains open for specific routes.