India’s popular low-cost budget airline IndiGo has begun operating flights from Mumbai to Maldives.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the airline halted scheduled flights to the Maldives and recently resumed flights. The first flight landed at Velana International Airport (VIA) during September.

IndiGo will operate two weekly flights on Sundays and Thursdays, and the airline will be increasing flight frequency based on demand.

IndiGo began operating flights to Maldives on November 15, 2018. Since then, the airline has been operating weekly flights to the island nation from several destinations in the neighboring country including Cochin, Bengaluru and Pune. Flights halted once Maldives closed its borders on March 27, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

There are daily flights between Male’ and Cochin while flights from Male’ to Mumbai are scheduled five days a week. Flights between Male’ and Bengaluru are scheduled twice a week. Pune became the fourth destination IndiGo began operating flights to and from the Maldives, last year.

The airline revealed that bookings can be made through their website and flyers have options to choose low-cost business class seats.

For the first time since the outbreak, an air travel bubble was initiated by the governments of both countries to tear down the barrier for Indian tourists and Maldivian medical patients wishing to travel between both countries. This is the first of its kind to be established in the South Asian region.

India is one of the top source markets for tourism in the island nation and the introduction of the air bubble will prove to be beneficial in building up the country’s weakened economy. 10 percent of tourist arrivals to Maldives are from the neighboring country.