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.

Malaysia is ramping up its focus on key South Indian cities such as Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Kochi to boost tourism, according to the latest data from the Malaysian Tourism Department. These cities play a pivotal role in Malaysia’s tourism strategy, contributing nearly half of the flights from India to Malaysia.

With 151 weekly flights offering 26,686 seats per week, direct connectivity from Southern India has become a cornerstone of Malaysia’s tourism growth plan. Moreover, Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, Director General of Tourism Malaysia, highlighted the importance of this region, stating, “India has been a key market for Malaysia for over 20 years, and with the upcoming Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VMY2026), we are targeting 1.6 million Indian travellers. Southern India, with its robust flight connections, is crucial to our growth strategy. The 151 weekly flights and 26,686 seats per week reflect the high demand for travel between Malaysia and the Southern cities of India”

Expanding Malaysia’s Appeal

In addition to strong flight connections, Malaysia is positioning itself as a leading destination for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions), wedding tourism, and leisure travel. Periasamy emphasized that Malaysia’s appeal lies in its world-class infrastructure and beautiful destinations, offering diverse travel experiences for all kinds of tourists.

One sector that is seeing particularly rapid growth is wedding tourism, with an increasing number of Indian couples choosing Malaysia for their dream weddings. Furthermore, this trend highlights Malaysia’s growing popularity among Indian travelers seeking unique experiences.

Hishamuddin Mustafa, the newly appointed Director of Tourism Malaysia Chennai, reinforced the strategic importance of South Indian cities like Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Kochi. He pointed out that the ease of access provided by 84 weekly flights and 12,395 seats per week makes Malaysia a highly attractive destination for Indian travelers. “Whether it’s for MICE, a dream wedding, or a family vacation, Malaysia has something for everyone,” Mustafa said, underscoring the wide range of experiences the country offers.

In 2024, Malaysia set a new record by welcoming over 1.1 million Indian tourists, marking a significant achievement in its tourism sector. This surge, he noted, reflects the strong relationship between the two countries and the rising demand for travel to Malaysia. Looking ahead, Malaysia aims to attract 1.4 million Indian tourists in 2025 and 1.6 million by 2026, as part of the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 campaign.

Supporting this growth, the visa-free entry policy for Indian travelers, which will remain in effect until 31 December 2026, has simplified travel to Malaysia. As a result, Malaysia has become even more accessible to Indian citizens, further encouraging visits to the country.

Feature image via Travel Weekly Asia

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