Malaysia’s Batik Air has launched direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Maldives.

The Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) noted that this marks significant progress for the archipelago nation’s tourism sector.

Formerly known as MalindoAir, Batik Air’s inaugural flight to the Maldives touched down at Velana International Airport (VIA) on Friday and received a warm welcome including a water salute.

The inaugural flight touched down at VIA with 121 passengers on board.

Batik Air had been operating three weekly flights between Sri Lanka, Malaysia and the Maldives since May 2023, before direct flights were launched.

However, with the commencement of direct flights the airline will be scheduling daily flights to the Maldives from Malaysia.

Batik Air will be utilizing a Boeing 737 aircraft with a seating capacity of 180 passengers for its Maldives operations.

The airline has an extensive network of 50 destinations, including Malaysia, Thailand, and Australia.

Following the beginning of direct operations to Maldives, it is expected to contribute to the growing tourism industry and boost arrivals from Malaysia.

Further, the commencement of direct flights to Malaysia is also expected to ease challenges locals face in traveling to Malaysia.

Malaysia is a popular tourist destination among zealous Maldivian travelers and a large number of Maldivian students are also presently studying in Malaysia.

MACL revealed that the addition of Batik Air's direct flights, alongside other airlines like Flyness from Saudi Arabia and the upcoming Virgin Atlantic flights from the United States to VIA, it offers international travelers more convenient options to explore the beauty and hospitality of the Maldives.

With more airlines choosing to operate flights to the Maldives, the archipelago nation’s tourism industry is expected to experience a significant boost, attract more visitors and further establish the island nation as a premier destination for international travelers.