Beond, the pioneering luxury leisure airline, saw its debut aircraft land at Velana International Airport on Monday. The arrival, tracked to have originated from Hyderabad, India, marked a significant moment for the airline venture.

Greeted with a water salute on the runway, Beond, a joint venture between Maldives’ Simdi Group and Dubai’s Arabesque, positions itself as the world’s first high-end leisure airline. It’s set to commence flight operations this November and is currently accepting bookings through its website.

The airline’s initial destinations include Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Zurich, Switzerland; and Munich, Germany. Beond offers three ticket options: Delight, Bliss, and Opulence.

CEO Tero Taskila announced plans for expanding the airline’s offerings, with three more destinations scheduled for March and another three in early summer next year. Booking for these upcoming destinations will open later this month.

Tero emphasised the current availability of bookings exclusively through the website and mentioned the ongoing development of a mobile application. He also noted successful collaborations with global travel agents in recent weeks.

The future holds the addition of Bangkok, Thailand; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Milan, Italy with the arrival of a second aircraft. Further expansion, featuring Shanghai and Beijing, China, along with another European destination, will accompany the introduction of a third aircraft.

Beond’s flights will be operated by the A-320 family, offering 44 seats in an all-premium configuration. The airline promises a spacious interior with premium comfort seats. Over the next five years, Beond plans to grow its fleet and expand its list of destinations.