Direct flights between the Philippines and the Republic of Maldives are on the verge of becoming a reality as the negotiations between the two countries has successfully come to an end with an agreement on air services.

Air negotiation panels of the Maldives and Philippines met in Manila on April 16 and 17 to draft the agreement after initial proposals were discussed in letter exchanges throughout the past few months.

The Maldives delegation was composed of the chairman, the chief executive and senior officials of the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority while the Philippine air panel was led by the Department of Foreign Affairs, with representatives from the Department of Transportation, Civil Aeronautics Board, Department of Tourism, Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Labor and Employment as members.

The new agreement allows an initial entitlement of 1,200 seats that can be flown by each partys designated airlines per week between Manila and the Maldives.

However, flights originating from or destined for points outside Manila will be unlimited, in line with the Philippines' pocket open skies policy which promotes other international gateways away from the capital.