Air France is to begin flight operations to Maldives from Saturday.
Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) revealed that the flag carrier of France will resume flight operations to the Velana International Airport (VIA) on December 19 and that three weekly flights will be operated.
Air France, included among the renowned airlines operating to several destinations across the globe, halted flight operations to the island nation due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Maldives halted issuing on-arrival visas on March 27 and a little over three months later, reopened borders for international travel on July 15.
Since then, daily tourist arrivals have been increasing, alongside flight frequency from multiple airlines.
MACL earlier expressed pride in the great success of new airlines having begun operating flights to Maldives and stated that the hard work of officials working in the tourism industry is behind this success.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, 19 airlines currently operate passenger flights to Maldives, Emirates airline holding the highest spot, having carried 33,769 passengers since resuming flights. Qatar Airways follows closely behind with 316 flight movements and 26,904 passengers. Third comes Aeroflot having carried 16,124 passengers on 106 flights.
Other international airlines currently operating flights to Maldives include:
- Indigo with 184 flight movements and 11,252 passengers,
- Go Air with 152 flight movements and 9,568passengers,
- Turkish Airlines with 172 flight movements and 7,850 passengers,
- British Airways with 40 flight movements and 3,694 passengers,
- SriLankan Airways with 210 flight movements and 3,435 passengers,
- Lufthansa with 28 flight movements and 2,780 passengers,
- Flydubai with 58 flight movements and 2,671 passengers,
- Etihad Airways with 136 flight movements and 2,482 passengers,
- Air India with 32 flight movements and 1,673 passengers,
- Edelweiss with 22 flight movements and 1,646 passengers,
- Azur Air Russia with eight flight movements and 1,510 passengers,
- Air Astana with eight flight movements and 653 passengers,
- Spicejet with 26 flight movements and 284 passengers,
- Silk Air with eight flight movements and 185 passengers,
- Gulf Air with two flight movements and 159 passengers,
- Air Seychelles with four flight movements and 133 passengers,
Some of the airlines that are scheduled to begin operations to the country include Alitalia, Ukraine International Airlines, Nordwind, Austrian Airlines and Rossiya Airlines among many others.
During the remainder of 2020, 10 more airlines are set to resume operations to the island nation, and by February 2021, 13 airlines will resume flights to Maldives.
