Seven new airlines to begin flights to Maldives in final quarter, Ameen says

Seven additional airlines will launch flights to the Maldives in the final quarter of this year, Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen said on Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference at the President’s Office, Minister Ameen said the government and the tourism industry are working together to attract a large number of tourists during the last quarter of the year, traditionally the strongest season for Maldives tourism.

He said seven airlines are now preparing to begin operations to the Maldives before the end of the year, adding that two of them previously operated seasonal flights to the country.

According to Ameen, the airlines expected to start flights in the last quarter include:

• A Russian airline  

• A Bulgarian airline  

• A Vietnamese airline  

• An Armenian airline  

• Ethiopian Airlines  

• A French carrier  

• Kuwait Airways

Ameen predicted that the final season of this year will be highly successful with the addition of these airlines.

“The last quarter is looking very promising. According to the figures, tourist arrivals will not be lower than last year,” Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen said.

Notably, flights to the Middle East came to a halt on February 28 following sudden U.S. attacks on Iran. The Middle Eastern route is used by a large share of tourists traveling to the Maldives. As the conflict escalated, many flights were delayed or canceled, and rising transportation costs further impacted the tourism sector.

According to the Tourism Ministry, 1.49 million tourists have arrived in the Maldives so far this year, a 3.7 percent decrease compared to the same period last year.

Statistics show that 32 airlines currently operate flights to the Maldives.