Raya Airways launches scheduled cargo flights to Maldives

Raya Airways has launched scheduled cargo flights to Velana International Airport (VIA) on Friday.

The new service establishes a direct cargo connection between Penang, Malaysia, and Malé, marking the launch of the first scheduled cargo flights between Malaysia and the Maldives.

According to Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), the airline will operate two flights per week using Boeing 767-200 freighter aircraft. Each flight is expected to transport an average cargo load of 46 tonnes.

The flights are chartered by 'Teleport,' a prominent logistics company operating in Southeast Asia. The introduction of Raya Airways’ service is expected to provide a regular and reliable flow of goods between Southeast Asia and the Maldives.

MACL highlighted that 80 to 90 percent of the cargo transported on these flights comprises transshipment goods. The development is expected to further strengthen VIA’s role as a regional cargo hub while providing exporters and importers with additional routes and improved access to key international markets.

Raya Airways is the second scheduled cargo airline to operate at Velana International Airport. The initiative forms part of a broader strategy to attract additional cargo carriers, diversify air freight connections, and develop the airport into a leading regional transshipment gateway.

From January to July this year, Velana International Airport handled 3,228 tonnes of cargo through 390 dedicated cargo flights. These operations connected the airport with major destinations including Bangalore, Chennai, Yangon, Colombo, Bangkok, Dubai, and Hanoi. In the previous year, the airport handled more than 4,300 tonnes of cargo through 518 flights.