Qatar Airways will be increasing the frequency of daily flights from Doha to Maldives starting from 10th December.

Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) said that the airline will be operating three flights daily to Maldives, from Thursday, and added that they expect "a good number" of tourist arrivals following this.

The country’s borders were closed on March 27 following the Covid-19 pandemic, and while they were reopened on July 15, the first commercial flight to land at Velana Internatioanl Airport after the nearly four-month closure was a flight of Qatar Airways; a total of 107 tourists and 24 locals arrived in the country via this flight.

While Qatar Airways is increasing the daily flight frequency to Maldives, the island nation recently entered a “safe travel bubble package” with Qatar. While this is the first time the two nations have introduced a travel bubble, the ‘Travel Bubble Holidays’ is designed for Qatari nationals and residents of the country.

Under the exclusive package, customers can travel to the island nation between 1st December 2020 and 7th January 2021. While the package includes return flights between Qatar and Maldives from Qatar airways and accommodation on full board basis, customers will also have access to all hotel facilities, enjoy flexible cancellation policies and discounted rates off the retail outlets. Two luxury high-end properties, Diamonds Thundufushi Beach and Water Villas and Sandies Bathala Maldives is exclusively available for guests travelling from Qatar.

Qatar Airways is one of the 19 airlines that have restarted operations to the Maldives since border reopening, while an additional seven to be allowed to restart flights in December. So far, Air Seychelles, British Airways, Air Astana and Silk Air have begun operations to the island nation this month.

There is no quarantine on arrival to Maldives but all tourists are required to fill an online health declaration form within 24 hours prior to departure and submit a negative Covid-19 PCR test result, conducted maximum 96 hours prior to departure to Maldives.