The long haul market is still a smaller segment globally, which shows the challenges in developing it. However, the Maldives is very well positioned since it can be reached easily from both East and West through major connection hubs such as the UAE, Qatar, Singapore, and Thailand. These hubs play a crucial role in channeling long haul travelers into the Maldives. Looking at our top 10 tourist markets, three countries currently have no direct flights to the Maldives, and one operates only seasonal flights. This clearly highlights how effective these connection hubs are in sustaining our arrivals. At the same time, it’s important for us to explore opportunities to initiate direct flights to these markets and assess whether existing carriers are interested in operating such routes. While it is achievable to introduce long haul services to select European destinations, careful consideration is needed on the potential impact to existing routes that currently deliver transit passengers via major hubs.

To my knowledge, at the moment, there are no new airlines that have expressed interest in operating to the Maldives. However, there may be various charter operations organized by tour operators for short periods. Another challenge faced by airlines is the increasing costs following the inauguration of the new terminal. Many existing airlines have expressed concerns, and unfortunately, MACL is not managing the situation well. One major setback is that the commercial team appears inexperienced, and their approach to these changes has been disappointing. Jetstar initially expressed interest, but unfortunately, it has since withdrawn. According to the CAA, no other country or airline has expressed interest at this time.