Island Aviation Services Ltd, the operator of national carrier, Maldivian, commenced seaplane operations in July 2014. It is currently working to expand its seaplane fleet and operations.
Under the plan, the company acquired two new aircraft this year, bringing the number of seaplanes in its fleet to 8. The company’s target is to increase its seaplane fleet to 10 before the end of 2016. It expects to add two new aircraft to its seaplane fleet by November this year.
Apart from its expansion plan, Maldivian is also working to further improve it seaplane services. The airline recently launched luxury seaplane services. According to Maldivian, its new 8-seat, air-conditioned luxury seaplane would operate to resorts and other destinations.
It is also undertaking a project to expand its seaplane terminal, which is nearing completion. The project would also see the development of additional platforms in the terminal. Maldivian’s first seaplane, a DHC6 Twin Otter was acquired in April 2014.
Maldivian is also preparing to acquire an additional aircraft, a 50-seater Dash 8-300, to further expand its domestic operations. It said the new aircraft is expected to be delivered in October, and would increase its fleet to 16. The fleet currently consists of 7 Dash-8 aircrafts, an Airbus A320 and an A321 and 8 Twin Otter seaplanes.
The national carrier, on July 6, commenced direct flights to Chengdu, China, expanding international operations to 7 cities across China.
Currently, Maldivian operates flights to 7 destinations in China, Dhaka of Bangladesh, Thiruvananthapuram and Chennai of India, and Bangkok, Thailand.