Air Arabia has doubled its scheduled flights to the Maldives, responding to a sustained rise in travel demand from the United Arab Emirates. The Sharjah-based carrier now operates two daily services between Sharjah International Airport and Velana International Airport in Malé, up from its previous schedule of one flight per day.
The expanded operation builds on the airline’s launch of scheduled services to the Maldives on 27 October 2024. All flights continue to operate between Sharjah and Malé, reinforcing Air Arabia’s commitment to strengthening regional connectivity.
The carrier has also marked a milestone in Malé, becoming the first foreign airline to operate from the newly inaugurated terminal at Velana International Airport. Its services were transferred to the new facility on 13 August, shortly after the terminal’s opening.
This increase in capacity reflects the growing strategic importance of the UAE as a source market for Maldivian tourism. Industry observers have identified the UAE as an emerging contributor to the sector, with recent trends pointing to a notable uptick in visitor numbers.
Official figures underscore this trajectory. During the first nine months of the current year, 14,897 tourists from the UAE visited the Maldives, an increase of 21.3 percent compared with the 12,279 arrivals recorded over the same period last year.