Island Aviation Services Limited (IASL) has revealed that the national airline, Maldivian, aims to renew its fleet before the end of next year.
Speaking to reporters on the arrival of the third brand new ATR42-600 aircraft to Velana International Airport (VIA), Deputy Managing Director Aishath Jennifer said the aim is to renew the fleet before the end of next year. As such, she said a total of eight aircraft will be needed to renew the fleet. She also said that the renewal of the fleet will be the biggest achievement in the company's history.
Additionally, Jennifer said the company has vessels that have been in use for more than 20 years and the maintenance fees are quite expensive. She noted that the new aircraft will greatly reduce the cost of maintenance. She said the new ATR aircraft has a capacity of 46 passengers and the airline's fleet has now increased to 14 aircraft.
The national airline began bringing in three ATR aircraft for domestic operations last year. IASL decided to bring these aircraft to renew its fleet of domestic flights. IASL has brought two ATR-72 aircraft and one ATR-42 aircraft which are currently in service. In addition, IASL has also announced the acquisition of an Airbus aircraft for international flights. IASL currently has more than 23 aircraft in its fleet, including Airbus aircraft used for international flights, ATR and Dash model aircraft for domestic flights, and seaplanes.