The Best Airlines for Flights to the Maldives

It might seem a bit soon to start planning your summer vacation, but in reality is it ever too soon? Booking flights, choosing your destination and looking for accommodation are time-consuming tasks. And if that trip is ever going to leave the group-chat, it’s about time to start looking into airlines that fly to the destination of your dreams. If you’re looking to finally book that trip to the Maldives, here are some of the best airlines that will connect you to the dreamy destination. Get your passports ready, find the best deals and get ready for a vacation to remember!

British Airways

Frequent fliers to the Maldives always recommend booking with British Airways. The airline currently serves around 13 domestic destinations and 196 international destinations in 76 countries. Luckily, The Maldives is one of those destination. Although British Airways was conducting one weekly flight for Winter of 2022, the airline had increased the schedule to fit three flights to the Maldives per week. As the airline has been flying to this dreamy destination since 2015, it is reliable, comfortable and ready to connect you to The Maldives!

Emirates

The connection to The Maldives through Emirates started all the way back in the 90s. Emirates is one of those airlines that needs no introduction, connecting travellers to destinations all around the globe. Currently Emirates hosts around 28 flights between Dubai and The Maldives per week! This means, if your connection if to Dubai, you can book your flight to The Maldives through Emirates.

Batik Air

Batik Air commenced its brand new destination in 2023, offering direct flights to the Maldives. Through its Malaysia route, passengers of Batik Air can reach Maldives ins less than 5 hours on a budget! The airline provides economy as well as business class seating in addition to inflight catering. Since its announcement of the new route, Batik Air has become one of the budget-traveller favourites to connect to the Maldives.

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways is popular for its comfortable seating and its excellent service. The Doha-based airline has conducts direct flights to the Maldives, often increasing the connections for summer. With Qatar Airlines, travellers can easily connect to the Maldives from Doha in under 5 hours!

Etihad Airways

Etihad started flying to The Maldives back in 2011, offering travellers a more budget friendly trip to the tropical destination. This is the perfect airline for travellers looking to book lower cost tickets without giving up the comfort factor.

SriLankan Airlines

Srilankan Airlines was the first airline to touch down in the Hulhule’ Airport in the 1960s. Since then, SriLankan airlines has been connecting travellers to the beautiful destination for a budget friendly price. The airline is not only popular for its spacious seating, SriLankan airlines also offers an amazing inflight catering menu!

Air France

The French National Airline has been flying to the Maldives since 2017. On top of providing amazing direct routes to the country, the airline often operates more frequently for winter season. Whether you’re planning a budget trip or booking last minute tickets, you can find some pretty good deals to The Maldives on the website of the airline!

Turkish Airlines

Following a short halt, Turkish Airlines resumed its flights to the Maldives in 2022, offering travellers direct connections from Turkey. Offering weekly flights to The Maldives, Turkish Airlines connects two beautiful destinations for travellers. Whether you’re looking to fly from Turkey to The Maldives or explore both countries, Turkish Airlines is your go to.

AirAsia

AirAsia is yet another airline which is favoured by budget-travellers all around the world. The airline is known to have extremely good deals for tickets booked ahead of time. AirAsia connects passengers directly to the Maldives by hosting 18 flights every week!

IndiGo

If you’re looking flights connecting from India to The Maldives, IndGo airlines is your answer. Although there is a layover in Mumbai if you’re booking from Delhi, IndiGo is a traveller favourite when looking to connect between India and Maldives.

FlyDubai

It might seem impossible but there is a budget airline connecting travellers from Dubai to the Maldives! Since it started flying direct routes to The Maldives, FlyDubai has become one of the more budget friendly airlines connecting travellers to the luxury destination. Since the airline started flying to The Maldives in 2013, FlyDubai has been hosting several flights weekly to its passengers.

Saudi Arabia has replaced the CEO of its NEOM mega-city project. Nadhmi al-Nasr, who led the project since 2018, is stepping down, and Aiman al-Mudaifer, a top official at the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), is stepping in as interim CEO.

Why the Leadership Change at NEOM?

This leadership change comes at a time when the NEOM project faces growing challenges. The timing raises many questions: What’s behind the change? And what does it mean for the future of this huge development?

NEOM is a massive project, designed to span 170 kilometers and include new ideas like twin skyscrapers, a ski resort, and the bold horizontal city, The Line. However, since its launch, many have questioned whether the project will meet its goals. There’s concern that delays could prevent the city from taking shape as planned.

What Does This Change Mean for NEOM?

According to a statement from NEOM, the leadership shift is part of the company’s effort to enter a “new phase of delivery.” Al-Mudaifer, who has worked at PIF since 2018, has experience in real estate development and knows the ins and outs of the NEOM project. He’s now tasked with making sure things stay on track. But can he handle the pressure and fix the delays? Only time will tell.

Challenges Facing NEOM

NEOM has already faced a few problems. One of the biggest issues is The Line. Originally, this centerpiece of the project was supposed to stretch 170 kilometers by 2030. However, reports now say that only 2.4 kilometers will be done by the end of the decade. This raises doubts about whether the project can meet its size and population targets. Earlier plans had expected a population of over one million in The Line by 2030. But now, new reports, including from Bloomberg, suggest that only 300,000 people might live there by then.

Sindalah Island: A First Step Forward

Despite these challenges, NEOM has already opened its first major development: Sindalah Island. This luxury island features a marina, hotels, and retail spaces, aiming to attract tourists. Sindalah Island will serve as an important test for NEOM’s future. If it succeeds, it could help set the tone for future developments and show that NEOM can make its ideas a reality.

Moving Forward with NEOM

Even with the setbacks, Saudi Arabia continues to push forward with NEOM’s plan. The city still includes other major developments, like Oxagon, Trojena, and Magna, which all aim to create a modern, balanced future. However, the question remains: Can NEOM meet its goals and become the city it’s promised to be?

Al-Mudaifer’s appointment marks a fresh start for NEOM. While challenges remain, this leadership change could be exactly what’s needed to keep things moving forward. The world will be watching to see how the project progresses in the coming years.

The Best Airlines for Flights to the Maldives – Your Guide!