Air Arabia, from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have officially commenced scheduled flights to the Maldives. Air Arabia will operate flights between Sharjah International Airport and Velana International Airport (VIA), utilising A-320 aircrafts.
The first Air Arabia flight to arrive at VIA was welcomed with a water salute, in a special ceremony held to mark the commencement of the scheduled flights. Senior officials from Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) and Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) were also present at the event, to welcome the flight. MACL revealed that the commencement of the scheduled flights from Air Arabia, and the new route, would increase the connectivity of VIA, as well as the market across the Middle East region.
In an interview with PSM News, Managing Director of MMPRC Ibrahim Shiuree also emphasised that the flights would play a pivotal role in increasing the tourist arrival from the Middle East. It would also pave the path to collaborate with the airlines, to conduct marketing activities.
While over 40 airlines operate scheduled flights to the Maldives, the government has an overarching goal of welcoming 2 million tourists. To this date, 1.6 million tourists have visited the Maldives. The government is optimistic that its goal can be achieved during mid-December.