Maldivian, the national flag carrier of the Maldives, has announced an expansion in its flight operations to two Indian destinations, Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi, coinciding with the annual school holidays.
The airline has scheduled additional flights to Thiruvananthapuram on 6, 10, and 20 May, departing from Velana International Airport (VIA) at 7:35 p.m., with return flights set for 10 p.m. Additional flights to Kochi are planned for 8, 17, and 21 May, and 19 June. The Malé-Kochi flights will also depart from VIA at 7:35 p.m., with return flights scheduled for 10:35 p.m.
In addition to the increased operations to India, Maldivian has scheduled an extra flight to Funadhoo Airport on the 9 May, departing VIA at 6:15 a.m., with the return flight set for 7:40 a.m.
Island Aviation Services Ltd. (IASL), the operator of Maldivian, is also working to expand its current fleet of ATR aircraft. The company announced the imminent arrival of a new ATR42 aircraft this Thursday, marking the fourth ATR aircraft operated by Maldivian. The ATR aircraft are primarily used for domestic operations, with Maldivian currently serving 15 domestic airports across the country.
Maldivian is also looking to dry-lease an Airbus A330-200 aircraft and a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to expand its international operations. The Airbus aircraft will be dry-leased for five years, while the Boeing aircraft will be leased for six years. Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen recently revealed that the two wide-body aircraft will commence operations in late October or early November.
The current fleet of Maldivian includes two ATR72 aircraft, one ATR42 aircraft, one Airbus 320 aircraft, eight Dash 8-300 series aircraft, two Dash 8-200 series aircraft, and 11 DHC-6 Twin Otter Aircraft. The airline had previously operated an Airbus A321 aircraft, which was discontinued due to high maintenance costs.
