Air India partners with Maldivian to ease travel to 16 remote islands in Maldives
New Delhi, December 5
Air India's new partnership with Maldivian, the national airline of the Maldives, gives travellers easy access to 16 lesser-known islands across the island nation, opening a wider route network for people flying between the two countries.
As per an Air India press release, the agreement allows visitors flying with Air India to connect through Male and continue their journey on Maldivian flights to places such as Hanimaadhoo, Kooddoo, Gan, Kaadedhdhoo, Kulhudhuffushi, Dharavandhoo, Maafaru and Kadhdoo, among others. The deal also helps Maldivian bring Air India passengers from Delhi and Mumbai, including those connecting through these hubs, onto its services from Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram to Male and Hanimaadhoo.
"The interline partnership enables guests of both carriers to seamlessly travel on a single itinerary that combine Air India and Maldivian flights, ensuring convenient connections and coordinated baggage handling," the release said.
Air India calls the Maldives a favourite holiday choice for people from India. "The Maldives continues to be one of the most preferred leisure destinations for Indian travellers, and this interline partnership with Maldivian opens the door to the country's lesser-explored atolls and islands," Air India Chief Commercial Officer Nipun Aggarwal said. He added that combining Air India's global reach with Maldivian's domestic network will help guests explore the full spread of the archipelago.
Air India is currently the only airline running daily flights between Delhi and Male, offering a direct link between the two capitals. The airline provides more than 55,000 seats each year in one direction to the Maldives. Its network covers five continents, carrying people not only from India but also from parts of Europe, Southeast Asia and West Asia through Delhi.
Maldivian sees the partnership as a step to make travel inside the Maldives easier for visitors arriving from India. "This partnership marks a new chapter in our efforts to expand accessibility to the Maldives and provide connectivity for passengers traveling beyond Male to the atolls," Maldivian Managing Director Ibrahim Iyas said. He said the two airlines working together will support tourism and business travel for both countries.
"The partnership aligns with both airlines' goals to enhance regional cooperation and support tourism growth through stronger network integration, smoother connections, and improved customer experience," the release said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great move by Air India. Strengthening ties with our neighbours is always good. This will boost tourism and people-to-people connections. Hope they keep the fares reasonable though.
Finally! The usual Maldives packages are so expensive and repetitive. This opens up authentic, offbeat travel. Hope Indian tour operators create good itineraries for these new islands.
As a frequent traveler for work, the coordinated baggage handling is a major relief. Connecting through Kochi from Mumbai sounds efficient. Good for business travel between the regions.
While the partnership is welcome, I hope Air India focuses equally on improving its on-time performance and in-flight service. A great network means little if the basic travel experience is poor. Just my two paise.
This is perfect for a family holiday! Easier connections mean less stress with kids and elders. Looking up Hanimaadhoo and Maafaru right now. The photos look breathtaking.
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