As Indians boycott Male, Maldivian Airlines to launch direct flights to 4 Chinese cities to woo travellers

Maldivian Airlines is set to enhance its connectivity and support the nation’s tourism industry with the introduction of wide-body aircraft for flights to four major cities in China, starting in January 2025. The airline’s new routes will include Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Xi’an, marking a significant expansion in its international network.

In addition to these new Chinese routes, Maldivian Airlines also has plans to operate wide-body aircraft services to European destinations, as revealed by Maldives’ Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Mohamed Ameen, in an interview with news portal Edition.mv on Thursday.

“Flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Xi’an starting in January 2025 will significantly boost tourism and travel,” Ameen said during a ceremony in Beijing on Tuesday, which commemorated the launch of direct flights between the Maldives and China.

Also read: Why Maldives went from hating India to accepting its help in just a year

Minister Ameen also expressed his gratitude in a post on X, saying, “It was a pleasure to attend the official commemoration in Beijing to commence direct flights between the Maldives and China. I am grateful to President @Mmuizzu for fulfilling the assurance of wide-body operations by @MaldivianAero. Starting in January 2025, flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Xi’an will boost tourism and connectivity!”

Also read: Why Maldives went from hating India to accepting its help in just a year

Currently, Maldivian Airlines serves 16 domestic destinations and operates flights to regions in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. The Maldives has seen a surge in Chinese tourist arrivals, with China maintaining its position as the top tourist source for the country in 2024. According to the Ministry of Tourism, as of December 10, 2024, 255,000 Chinese tourists had visited the Maldives, followed by 209,000 Russian visitors. India ranked sixth, contributing 118,000 visitors out of the over 1.88 million tourists the Maldives welcomed this year.

Minister Ameen shared additional plans to expand services to three cities in China, Johannesburg in South Africa, and three European cities. He mentioned that previous flights to China and South Africa required transit stops, as the airline’s Airbus did not support long-haul flights.

Maldivian Airlines currently operates a fleet of 13 aircraft, including one Airbus A320, four ATRs, and eight Dash aircraft. The Airbus A320 is the airline’s only aircraft used for international flights.