Maldives Immigration has extended tourist visas for visitors experiencing travel difficulties due to ongoing unrest in the Middle East.
Maldives Immigration said that since 28 February, a number of flights to the Maldives have been cancelled as a result of the instability in the region. Consequently, some tourists currently in the Maldives have been unable to depart before the expiry of their visas. Authorities confirmed that tourist visas for those affected will be extended.
The government is also working to facilitate convenient arrangements for tourists who have been unable to leave Maldives due to the conflict in the Middle East. As soon as flights began to be cancelled, tourists were given the option to return to their resorts or guesthouses.
Some visitors opted to change their tickets and attempt to travel on alternative flights, and those arrangements were facilitated. Others chose to remain at the airport, where arrangements were made at the former domestic terminal to accommodate them.
Following the closure of a large section of Middle Eastern airspace, special service counters have been established at the domestic terminal of Velana International Airport to assist affected passengers.
According to the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), nine flights were cancelled on 28 February due to airspace closures in parts of the Middle East, affecting approximately 1,716 passengers. A further 19 flights were cancelled yesterday, impacting around 3,530 passengers.