Flydubai to commence cargo-in-cabin flights to Male’ on April 16

Flydubai is set to commence a series of cargo flights from Dubai to Male’ starting Thursday.

This marks the first time for the Dubai-based airline to conduct cargo-in-cabin flights to the Velana International Airport in Male’.

Mohamed Firaq, the managing director of Ace Aviation Services Maldives, the airline’s local agent, said that the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority granted approval to operate the flights on Sunday.

“We appreciate this initiative by flydubai during these challenging times,” added Firaq, referring to the current conflict in the Middle East.

According to the schedule shared by Firaq, flydubai will be conducting the cargo-in-cabin flights until April 29.

Cargo-in-cabin flights involve transporting freight on passenger seats or in overhead bins, rather than just in the belly hold, to maximize capacity. Initially popularized during the Covid-19 pandemic to transport urgent medical supplies and PPE, the commencement of these flights by flydubai is expected to address challenges in importing goods into the Maldives amid the ongoing conflict.