The new direct flights between Malé and Melbourne, launched on Sunday, are projected to increase annual tourist arrivals from Australia by approximately 11,000, according to Maldivian Airlines, the country’s national carrier. These weekly flights, introduced in collaboration with leading Australian travel agency Luxury Escapes, represent the first-ever nonstop flights connecting the Maldives and Australia.

Operated by Maldivian’s Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft, the flights feature 18 lie-flat business class seats and 246 economy seats. The inaugural flight departed from Malé to Melbourne on Sunday night and is scheduled to return from Melbourne to Malé on Tuesday with tourists onboard.

During a broadcast on Public Service Media’s ‘Raajje Miadhu’ program on Sunday night, Ahmed Rameez, the airline’s financial controller, noted the high demand for the Malé-Melbourne route. He stated that the first three flights are fully booked, with half of the seats sold for all upcoming flights until November.

“Our flights are fully booked with 264 passengers. The first three flights will carry around 700 travelers to Malé. This is a significant achievement. If we can sustain this level, we estimate that around 11,000 tourists will arrive from Australia annually,” he explained.

Rameez also highlighted that the increase in Australian visitors is expected to boost resort occupancy rates and generate an additional MVR 10 million in annual tax revenue for the government.

Traditionally, flights from Melbourne to Malé involve stopovers in cities like Singapore, Colombo, Kuala Lumpur, or Dubai, with total travel times typically between 15 and 20 hours, and longer journeys often extending beyond the flight hours.

However, the new nonstop route launched by Maldivian in partnership with Luxury Escapes reduces the travel time to just 11 hours.

With the launch of this direct route before the summer holidays, it is anticipated that Australian tourist arrivals will grow by 17 percent, reaching around 40,000 visitors this year.