Rossiya Airlines, a part of the Aeroflot Group will start flights to the Maldives from 14th November 2020. According to a tweet by Maldives Airports Company (MACL), Rossiya Airlines will start its direct route from Moscow to to Velana International Airport (VIA). Furthermore, the airline will use its B747-400 aircraft for Maldives operations.
MACL has further revealed that this new airline will have one flight weekly. Likewise, Rossiya Airlines will operate flights to the Maldives till 27 March 2021. Flights from Moscow to the Maldives via Rossiya Airlines will be operated every Saturday. Rossiya Airlines is one of the largest airlines in Russia.
Aeroflot will also increase its flight frequency to the Maldives from 21st November 2020 onwards. Aeroflot will increase flights from 4 flights per week to 8 flights per week. Thus, with Aeroflot increasing flight frequency to the Maldives and Rossiya Airlines operating flights to the Maldives, will maintain the strong performance of the Russian tourist source market.
Since the Maldives reopened its borders on 15th July 2020, Russia has been the strongest tourist source market. As of 4th November 2020, Maldives recorded 9,519 tourist arrivals from Russia. Which makes Russia the leading market with a share of 21.5%. 2020 also started with the Russian market ranking as the fourth-highest arrival market to the Maldives, with an increase of arrivals by 29.6% compared to January of 2019.
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Several airlines have further revealed plans to start flights to the Maldives. Major airlines including; Emirates, Qatar Airways, British Airways, Aeroflot, Air India and more have already started operations to the Maldives. Thus, aiding the island nation reach the ambitious goal of 500,000 tourist arrivals by the end of 2020. As of 4th November 2020, figures from the Maldives’ tourism ministry indicate 21,515 tourists arrived in the island nation in October 2020.
