Cathay Pacific Set to Fly to Maldives

Cathay Pacific Airways has announced that it will launch a new four-times-weekly service to the Maldives, one of the most-sought-after getaways in the world for leisure travelers, local media announced in Male Tuesday.

Cathay Pacific Airways has announced that it will launch a new four-times-weekly service to the Maldives, one of the most-sought-after getaways in the world for leisure travelers, local media announced in Male Tuesday.

The new service is scheduled to commence on Oct. 27, 2013, subject to the government approval.

Located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the Maldives is a chain of islands whose beauty is unsurpassed, with pristine white- sand beaches, azure seas and amazing coral reefs.

The islands are home to a rich marine life, including several endangered species, and are considered by many travelers as the perfect place for a honeymoon.

Visitors to the Maldives currently enjoy a free 30-day visa on arrival in the capital city Male.

To ensure that passengers enjoy the maximum comfort for their journey to the Maldives, Cathay Pacific will use an Airbus A330- 300 aircraft equipped with its award-winning Business Class, new Premium Economy Class and Long-haul Economy Class cabins.

Flights will depart from Hong Kong to Male International Airport every Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

"The Maldives is the perfect getaway for holidaymakers from Hong Kong and around the world. Cathay Pacific is a premium service airline and our passengers will enjoy the best products and services when they fly with us to the Maldives," said Cathay Pacific Chief Executive John Slosar.

The Maldives attracted nearly 1 million tourists in 2012 with the largest component coming from China.

Etihad Starts Flights to Maldives

Etihad Airways has launched flights to two very exotic Indian Ocean island destinations - the Maldives and the Seychelles - making them 67th and 68th destinations on Etihad's global network, respectively.

The airline hopes the flights will be popular among holiday makers from the UAE and those travelling from Europe with a stopover in Abu Dhabi.

Both Maldives and the Seychelles are top holiday destinations that appeal highly to Europeans, especially Britons. Though both these charming vacation spots are not exactly known to be budget destinations, tourists may now be able to net cheap flight tickets with Etihad expanding the alternatives for the vacationers.

Etihad Flight to Maldives

Abu Dhabi flag carrier's maiden flight to Male landed at the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (Male International Airport) on Tuesday at around 2:15 pm. The flight was greeted with a water cannon salute, bodu-beru dancers, coconuts and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Passengers who disembarked from Etihad flight EY278 to Maldives' capital city were pleasantly surprised by the revelries. Halid Al Marhedi, Etihad's Executive Vice President, was invited to cut a golden ribbon with GMR CEO Andrew Harrison and Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation Managing Director, Simon Hawkins.

The airline will operate a daily return service from Abu Dhabi to Male International Airport. Etihad will ply Airbus A320 aircraft on the route, with two class configuration and more than 1,900 seats each week across both travel classes allowing a number of chances for those looking for cheap flight tickets with the airline.

"This is a very exciting day for Etihad Airways and we are thrilled to add another new destination, particularly one that is so important to the leisure traveller," said Etihad Airways' CEO James Hogan said.

"We expect the services will appeal to UAE leisure travellers, as well as customers from our major European markets, particularly with the strong connectivity options on offer and following the additional frequencies that will come online on a number of our key European routes this summer," he was quoted.

"Etihad's schedule, which offers an attractive afternoon arrival and evening departure, has been carefully designed to offer customers maximum leisure time at their destination. In fact, European travellers can take advantage of our overnight flights in both directions, offering them a full extra day in the Maldives."

Etihad will depart from Abu Dhabi International Airport at 9:20am and will arrive at Male at 2:30pm. The return flight will take off from Male at 8:35pm and will arrive in Abu Dhabi at 12:05 am.

Mega Maldives sparkles with the launch of direct flights from Korea

MEGA Maldives Airlines, the international airline of the Republic of Maldives, has today successfully launched a direct route to the Maldives from Incheon Korea. Carrying 158 passengers, the flight landed at a specially arranged time at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) at 9 am, where the airport was in a festive mood in anticipation for this historical direct flight from Korea by a Maldivian airline.

The aircraft was greeted by a water cannon salute arranged specially for the occasion by GMR and Fire and Rescue Services of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport along with celebrations of traditional Maldivian “boduberu”. A welcoming committee greeted the passengers as they exited the aircraft. Many passengers stopped to take pictures with the members of the committee, and in front of the aircraft.

MEGA Maldives Airlines currently flies to Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai and have now introduced Seoul, Korea as its fourth and newest market. All four of the airlines' routes are to markets with fast growing demand, but that previously had no direct flights. This is a reflection of MEGA Maldives Airlines' commitment to developing new markets and the overall growth of tourism in the Maldives.

Today's event was concluded by a joint press briefing by MEGA Maldives Airlines, MMPRC, GMR and was chaired by Minister of Transport and Communication, Adil Saleem, who reiterated the government's support for development of Maldivian Aviation. The Minister also used the opportunity to support the Civil Aviation Bill currently in the parliament, which is important to allow the country's aviation industry to grow in line with the market and the pressures on the regulator.

George Weinmann, CEO of MEGA Maldives Airlines said: “Korea is a natural extension of our Asian services and is reflective of the Asian growth in the Maldivian market. Korea is a great launching point for further operations in North East Asia including Japan and beyond. When MEGA Maldives Airlines enters a new market, we are not just advertising our flights, but the entire idea, the very feasibility and attractiveness of travel to the Maldives. Our slogan is "MEGA Maldives: Paradise In Reach..." Aside from the economic contribution we make to the Maldivian aviation industry and the economy as a whole, the de facto role an international airline plays as a marketing platform is one major reason why many governments around the world pay great attention to their hometown airline development. When we open up a new market it dramatically increases the media coverage and market awareness of the Maldives as a destination. Not to mention the convenience provided by a direct flight on a good schedule."

Mr. Weinmann further went on to add, “Korea has tremendous potential. It is one of the strongest economies in Asia and people there enjoy outbound travel a great deal. There are dozens of flights per week between Korea and Thailand and up to 5 flights per day between Korea and Hawaii. An interesting fact is that Hawaii is the same distance from Korea as the Maldives is from Korea - the overall holiday vacation price point is very similar. It will take time to develop the Korean market, but with proper cultivation by all parties, we believe Maldives can attract a substantially larger share of Korean traffic in the future."

Korea as an up and coming market to the Maldives, with Korean arrivals jumping from 16,000 to 24,000, from 2009 to 2010. That is a 54% increase in a single year. "We look forward to cooperating with our colleagues in Ministry of Transport and Communication, CAD, MMPRC, Tourism Ministry, MATI, MATATO, GMR and, of course, our Korean partners and agencies to develop this new opportunity” Weinmann said.

MEGA Maldives Airlines schedule, which offers an attractive early morning arrival and evening departure, has been carefully designed to offer travellers maximum leisure time at the sunny side of life. In fact, Korean travellers can take advantage of our overnight flights in both directions, offering them a full extra day in the Maldives.

Korea will be the first of a set of new routes MEGA Maldives will be expanding this fall and winter. The airline expects to add up to 5 additional new cities, bringing our total network up to 10 cities by year end. Mega Maldives Airlines is also in the process of bringing two additional wide body aircrafts into our fleet.

MEGA Maldives Airlines will operate a scheduled return service from Incheon (Seoul), Korea to Male', Maldives every 5 days using a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft , configured with 12 Business Class seats, 42 Premium Economy seats and 196 Economy Class seats in three sections. Departures from Incheon are late Saturday night (actually Sunday morning) at 00:05, arriving the same day at 5:20 AM and return flights from Male' are on Thursday evenings at 20:00, arriving the next morning at 8:50 AM.

As we expand our wings across new destinations, MEGA Maldives Airlines is proud to contribute to the development of the local aviation industry. As a Maldivian company, GMR operated Ibrahim Nasir International airport will be the heart of Mega Maldives Airlines’ growing network.

For more information or to book a flight, explore cargo, trade and employment opportunities, visit http://www.megamaldivesair.com/ or contact us at info@megamaldivesair.com

Third batch of cabin crew recruitment day a great success for Mega Maldives Airlines

On-going recruitment drive by Mega Maldives Airlines continued on the 27th July 2011. From 9 am to 4 pm, hopeful applicants for the third class of cabin crews, awaited eagerly for their turn to be evaluated, interviewed and tested for the opportunity to get into one of the most exciting jobs currently available for Maldivians.

As the big day arrived, more than 110 persons applied for the job at our office. On the day of recruitment, a total of 170, showed up for the interviews, out of which 1/3 will now proceed to the next stage of recruitment.

"The candidates went through an interview process of screening, one-on-one interview and group discussion. The selection panel consisted of highly experienced Cabin Crew and Flight Crew team. Successful candidates who were selected will join the Initial Cabin Crew training in mid-August. They will receive a four weeks formal training in Male’ and Bangkok. They will be provided with safety and service trainings to qualify them as highly skilled and excellent Flight Attendant of Mega Maldives Airlines." said Liza Boquiren, Manager, Cabin Crew.

Previously, first cabin crew recruitment drive led to 28 cabin crews being employed in 2010, and second batch of recruiting resulted in 24 more hired bringing the total of cabin crews to 52. Mega Maldives Airlines hopes to increase the total number of cabin crews to 97 by the first quarter of 2012.

Other employment opportunities in the company include the first batch of Maldivian pilots being currently evaluated and trained in time for the arrival of our second aircraft. Other areas of opportunities are available for engineers, technicians, mechanics and many more.

Mega Maldives boosts Asian services

Mega Maldives Airlines is opening new routes into Asia, chasing the lucrative tourist market.

And the airline, which recently began direct flights between Hong Kong and Malé, has enlisted some famous Chinese celebrities to boost its brand awareness.

Mega Maldives will start flights to Shanghai on the July 15 and to Beijing on July 21.

Miss Asia Pageant of 2008 and ATV artist, Eunis Yao, flew into Malé via Mega Maldives Airlines recently, accompanied by other stars of the Chinese TV show “Delicacies” for Hong Kong’s Asia Television (ATV), including ATV artists Lam Tse Kean and Manecy Chen.

Co-sponsored by Mega Maldives Airlines, ATV filmed at many different locations including Malé and surrounding areas such as the Maldives fish market and the fruits and vegetables market.

Filming has also been scheduled in some of the major resorts of Maldives including Anantara Dhigu Resort & Spa Maldives, Anantara Veli Resort & Spa Maldives, Naladhu Maldives, Anantara Kihavah Villas Maldives, Soneva Fushi by Six Senses and Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru.

It's all aimed at boosting awareness of the picturesque resort destination and entice Chinese to venture to the Maldives.

Mega Maldives Airlines is a joint-venture between Maldivian and US investors and a company incorporated in the Maldives. It commenced flights early in 2011 using a Boeing 767 aircraft.

Its initial plan is to target the Hong Kong, mainland China and other Asian markets, but it has longer term aspirations to serve Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Mega Maldives Airlines is opening new routes into Asia, chasing the lucrative tourist market.

And the airline, which recently began direct flights between Hong Kong and Malé, has enlisted some famous Chinese celebrities to boost its brand awareness.

Mega Maldives will start flights to Shanghai on the July 15 and to Beijing on July 21.

Miss Asia Pageant of 2008 and ATV artist, Eunis Yao, flew into Malé via Mega Maldives Airlines recently, accompanied by other stars of the Chinese TV show “Delicacies” for Hong Kong’s Asia Television (ATV), including ATV artists Lam Tse Kean and Manecy Chen.

Co-sponsored by Mega Maldives Airlines, ATV filmed at many different locations including Malé and surrounding areas such as the Maldives fish market and the fruits and vegetables market.

Filming has also been scheduled in some of the major resorts of Maldives including Anantara Dhigu Resort & Spa Maldives, Anantara Veli Resort & Spa Maldives, Naladhu Maldives, Anantara Kihavah Villas Maldives, Soneva Fushi by Six Senses and Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru.

It's all aimed at boosting awareness of the picturesque resort destination and entice Chinese to venture to the Maldives.

Mega Maldives Airlines is a joint-venture between Maldivian and US investors and a company incorporated in the Maldives. It commenced flights early in 2011 using a Boeing 767 aircraft.

Its initial plan is to target the Hong Kong, mainland China and other Asian markets, but it has longer term aspirations to serve Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Mega Maldives Airlines is opening new routes into Asia, chasing the lucrative tourist market.

And the airline, which recently began direct flights between Hong Kong and Malé, has enlisted some famous Chinese celebrities to boost its brand awareness.

Mega Maldives will start flights to Shanghai on the July 15 and to Beijing on July 21.

Miss Asia Pageant of 2008 and ATV artist, Eunis Yao, flew into Malé via Mega Maldives Airlines recently, accompanied by other stars of the Chinese TV show “Delicacies” for Hong Kong’s Asia Television (ATV), including ATV artists Lam Tse Kean and Manecy Chen.

Co-sponsored by Mega Maldives Airlines, ATV filmed at many different locations including Malé and surrounding areas such as the Maldives fish market and the fruits and vegetables market.

Filming has also been scheduled in some of the major resorts of Maldives including Anantara Dhigu Resort & Spa Maldives, Anantara Veli Resort & Spa Maldives, Naladhu Maldives, Anantara Kihavah Villas Maldives, Soneva Fushi by Six Senses and Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru.

It's all aimed at boosting awareness of the picturesque resort destination and entice Chinese to venture to the Maldives.

Mega Maldives Airlines is a joint-venture between Maldivian and US investors and a company incorporated in the Maldives. It commenced flights early in 2011 using a Boeing 767 aircraft.

Its initial plan is to target the Hong Kong, mainland China and other Asian markets, but it has longer term aspirations to serve Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

www.flightcentric.com

Etihad to commence services to the Maldives

Etihad Airways announced today that it will commence operations to Malé, the capital city of the Republic of Maldives, on November 1, subject to government approval.

Etihad will operate a daily return service from its home base in Abu Dhabi to Malé International Airport, operating Airbus A320 aircraft on the route, configured with two cabins and offering 1,904 seats each week.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, said: "Malé is the gateway to the premium leisure destination, the Maldive Islands, and given the strong increase in visitation numbers we are seeing in the market, the time is right to launch services to this popular holiday destination.”

Mr Hogan said the commencement of the services in November was perfectly timed to coincide with the start of the busy Northern winter period.

“We expect the services will appeal to UAE leisure travellers, as well as customers from our major European markets, particularly with the strong connectivity options on offer and following the additional frequencies that will come online on a number of our key European routes this summer,” he said.

“Etihad’s schedule, which offers an attractive afternoon arrival and evening departure, has been carefully designed to offer customers maximum leisure time at their destination. In fact, European travellers can take advantage of our overnight flights in both directions, offering them a full extra day in the Maldives.”

The Maldives is made up of close to 1,200 islands grouped into natural atolls; including 200 inhabited islands and 97 resort islands, with a population of close to 300,000 people*. The region features deep blue seas, sandy beaches and turquoise reefs, and with its tropical climate and warm temperatures year round, is a renowned honeymoon and leisure destination.

Etihad Holidays has special packages on offer for the most spectacular of the islands. Offering a wide range of experiences for all budgets, Etihad Holidays has developed tailored packages for honeymooners or families, sun worshippers or divers. The packages include flights, hotel accommodation and island transfers. For further information, call 800 2324 or visit an Etihad shop for more details.

Etihad Guest Members who book early and fly during the first 30 days of operation will be rewarded with twice as many Etihad Guest Miles. For further information, go to etihad.com. Terms and conditions apply.

Malé will become the 67th destination on Etihad’s global network.


www.arabianaerospace.aero

Kingfisher Airlines to begin Male-Mumbai flights

The Civil Aviation Department of the Maldives yesterday licensed Indian Kingfisher Airlines to operate scheduled flight between Male and India’s Mumbai, commencing from March 21.

Director of Air Transport at the department, Abdulla Rasheed said the airline would operate daily flights on an A-320 aircraft, which has a passenger capacity of 174.

“The department has licensed Kingfisher to operate schedule flights between Male-Mumbai-Male on a daily basis. Maldivians will also be able to purchase tickets when the airline opens its ticket office in Male,” he said.

Kingfisher earlier operated flights from Gan International Airport in Addu City and to Mumbai.

The Kingfisher flight will arrive in Male International Airport at 3.10pm and will leave to Mumbai at 4.20pm.

The airline has an agent in the Maldives; however, a ticket office has not been established in the Maldives.

Air India flies five days a week to Bangalore and also runs a daily flight to Trivandrum.

Budget carrier SpiceJet previously received permission to fly to the Maldives, however it has not made use of this so far. 

www.haveeru.com.mv

Shangri-La acquires Holiday Inn Male, Maldives.

World-renowned hotel chain, Shangri-la Group of Hong Kong, has purchased the landmark 117-room Holiday Inn Male and is set to rebrand the hotel in November.

Director of Communications at Shangri-La's Villingili Resort and Spa, Lesley Garcia, said the 14-storey hotel earlier managed by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) would be rebranded to “Traders Hotel Male” soon.

Shangri-La did not disclose the deal price. Haveeru was also unable to get a comment from IHG.

The company, which currently operates 68 hotels and resorts, also secured a bid from the government in 2007 to build and operate a 15-storey hotel at the southeast corner of Male and paid US$500,000 as advance payment. However, public complaints stalled the project for the past years, leading to the cancellation of the project.

www.haveeru.com.mv

SriLankan Airlines adds flights to Maldives

SriLankan Airlines is almost doubling daily flights to the Maldive islands from December 1 2010 to cater to the peak tourism season and also connecting a fourth city in China, a statement said.

The number of flights to Male is being increased to six a day from the earlier 3-4 a day, the airline, which has long been the largest carrier into the Maldives, said. 

The new flights are part of a big expansion in its network and fleet."The most significant addition will be the launch of thrice-weekly services to Guangzhou scheduled for January 28, the fourth city in China to be served by SriLankan," the airline said.

This would take the route network of Sri Lanka's national carrier to 50 destinations in 31 countries.
In Europe, SriLankan will add its 13th weekly flight to London, with effect from December 15, flying twice daily on all days except Friday.

In Southeast Asia, both Singapore and Kuala Lumpur will have an added flight for a total of 11 flights each from December 01.

The Middle East will see significant changes throughout the region including the services to Bahrain, Muscat and Doha, the statement said.

Karachi will also have an added frequency, bringing it to four a week from December 01.

In India, where SriLankan serves six cities, there will be increased flights to Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.
Mumbai will have a total of 10 flights from December 01, up from the earlier daily frequency.

Chennai will have one additional flight for a total of 15 flights, with three on Friday and two each on all other days from December 01 and Bangalore will go to a daily frequency with the addition of one more flight.
The airline has already begun expanding its fleet, with seven more aircraft by the end of 2011.

The first of these, a wide-body Airbus A330, arrived last July. Three more are planned by February 2011, including two Airbus A320s, and a De Havilland Twin Otter floatplane for the re-launch of the domestic SriLankan Air Taxi service.

www.lankabusinessonline.com

Emirates is to increase the frequency of flights between Sri Lanka and the Maldives

Emirates is to increase the frequency of flights between Sri Lanka and the Maldives to cater to increasing tourist traffic, a statement said.

Emirates is to add three extra flights to Malé from August 1, 2010, resulting in the airline operating daily flights between Malé and Colombo and increasing its services from four to five flights a week.

The additional flights take Emirates’ services to the Maldives to 19 a week, making the Dubai-based airline one of the most active international carriers serving the country.

"As tourism and economies revive in the region, there is increasing demand for seats on the Malé-Colombo sector," said Majid Al Mualla, Senior Vice President - Commercial Operations West Asia & Indian Ocean.

Emirates flights EK652 and EK 654 will depart Malé at 16:30 and arrive in Colombo at 18:30. On Wednesdays and Fridays, EK654 will continue on to Dubai from Colombo.

The return flight EK653 - operating on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday - will depart Colombo at 21:35 and arrive in Malé at 22:35.

These flights will be served by Emirates’ Airbus A330-200 aircraft in a three-class configuration, with 12 seats in First Class, 42 seats in Business Class and 183 seats in Economy Class.

Emirates has served the Maldives since April 1987, and also operates 14 flights a week from Malé to Dubai, the airline’s home base.

www.lankabusinessonline.com

Agoda.com and Bangkok Airways make paradise more accessible

Agoda.com, a leading Asian hotel booking site and a part of Priceline.com, today announced a strategic partnership with Bangkok Airways that gives independent travelers more freedom when booking a trip to the Maldives.

Previously, the most affordable way of seeing the Maldives was to book a package holiday, which independent travelers can find too restrictive. This partnership with Bangkok Airways, who flies direct from Bangkok to Malé twice a week, allows individuals more flexibility with flight times and provides a greater choice of hotels. Agoda’s great deals on hotels all over the world – including almost a hundred in the Maldives – means travelers can now tailor their own unique experience of the islands and enjoy the same savings independently as they would by booking a package trip. Not only that, they can earn Agoda rewards points in the process, saving money on future hotel bookings.

Located southwest of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives comprises more than a thousand islets, around two hundred of which are inhabited. Formed from coral atolls that jut from the sea, these islands are fringed with white sand and surrounded by warm equatorial waters teeming with marine life. In other words, the Maldives are an idyllic island destination and, thanks to this partnership, they’re more affordable and accessible than ever.

Michael Kenny, CEO of Agoda, commented, “In line with Agoda’s commitment to offering affordable rates on hotel rooms, this partnership with Bangkok Airways allows our members even greater flexibility and greater savings. People who want to visit exotic places like the Maldives shouldn’t be restricted to package trips, so we’re happy to be giving independent travelers the chance to visit these amazing places according to their individual needs.”

M.L. Nandhika Varavarn, Bangkok Airways’ vice president of Corporate Communications, commented, “We are particularly keen on extending our Boutique Services further to the online market. We believe our partnership with Agoda will give our passengers a truly hassle-free and memorable experience, from booking their ticket online to their first steps into the paradise of the Maldives.”

For a limited time only, Bangkok Airways and Agoda are offering some Extra Special Deals for the Maldives – to book your holiday in paradise, go to:

http://www.bangkokair.com/flights/agoda-mle.php

For more information regarding Agoda Company Pte., Ltd., please go to the website at www.agoda.com or contact the Agoda customer service team via telephone at +66 2 625 9100 or e-mail at info@agoda.com .

Source: eturbonews.com

British Airways holds launch party for London-Male' route

British Airways held a launch party in Male for its fledgling London-Maldives service, the first direct service of its kind for a UK carrier and intended to draw sun-starved tourists seeking escape from the cold gloom of the British winter.

Judy Jarvis, BA's regional commercial manager for South Asia, said that while the route catered primarily to the luxury tourist market and the airline's strength in the package holiday market, the company was also hoping to grow the number of outbound business passengers travelling to the UK.

"It's very early days, we've been operating less than a month," she said at the function on Tuesday.

Minister for Civil Aviation Mahmood Razee said the arrival of British Airways had compelled it to upgrade the airport's capabilities for dealing with cargo assets, which historically "have not been so great."

"[British Airways] carries a lot of cargo that originates in the Maldives as well as transit cargo," he said. "We needed to put in place aspects of security and assurance, most of it procedural - things like storing cargo in a secure place."

The additional three weekly flights may place further pressure on the airport's ability to cope with peak periods.

"We have problems with bunching from 8am in the morning to 2pm in the afternoon, especially on a Monday," Razee explained. "It's partly because most traffic from Europe arrives early in the morning because of airport curfew requirements in that part of the world."

The Maldives’ economy is heavily reliant on tourism, revenue from which accounts for one-third of its annual GDP.

Of the 800,000 passengers who pass through it annually, 600,000 are tourists, Razee said. The most prolific user of the airport is Sri Lanka airways which operates 28 flights weekly, followed by Emirates and Qatar Airways.

minivannews.com

British Airway’s maiden flight to Maldives arrives today

The British Airways first flight to Maldives will arrive in Male International Airport, Hulhule , today (26th Oct 2009).

The flight arriving today will be bringing 272 tourists to Maldives and according to Sunland work is underway to give a very warm welcome to these tourists. British Airways will operate a thrice weekly flight from Gatwick (London Gatwick Airport, the second largest international airport in UK after Heathrow) in to Male’. Maldives Promotion Board said that the Board will coordinate with MNCC to organize some cultural activities at the airport to welcome the new arrivals from British Airways.

Since the largest number of tourist arrival to Maldives is from UK, with the inauguration of British Airways, the problem of transiting in other airports will be solved. Besides this an opportunity will also be opened to export fresh fish from Maldives to UK and EU.

Flights to the Maldives will depart from Gatwick on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday at 7:10pm returning from Male’ on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 1:20pm local time.

miadhu.com.mv

Oman Air makes its maiden flight to Maldives

National Airline of Oman, Oman Air made its maiden flight to Maldives yesterday.

The flight which took off from Muscat, capital city of Oman, brought tourists from Germany, France and 81 other tourists from various Middle Eastern countries.

Oman Air will take pilgrims from Sisilfaru Hajj Group to Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj.

The four weekly flights to both Maldives and Sri Lanka by Oman Air was initially scheduled to be inaugurated on the 10 October of this year using its brand new fleet of Airbus A330 aircraft but was delayed as they were unable to secure approval from Sri Lankan authorities.

Oman Air currently operates direct international flights to major Gulf destinations such as Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait and Riyadh from Muscat. The airline also flies to ten destinations in India – Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, Delhi, Lucknow, Bangalore, Kozhikode and Jaipur. Oman Air flies to Chittagong in Bangladesh and Karachi, London, Bangkok, Cairo, Beirut and Amman.

miadhu.com.mv

Oman Air forced to delay Maldives, Sri Lanka launch

Oman Air said on Thursday it was having to postpone the launch of its four weekly flights to the Maldives and Sri Lanka due to a delay in winning approval from Sri Lanka.

Oman Air planned to inaugurate services on October 10 providing scheduled passenger and cargo air services as part of its international expansion programme using a new fleet of Airbus A330 aircraft.

Barry Brown, Oman Air's chief commercial officer said: "We are extremely disappointed to announce this delay caused by the inability to secure approval from the Sri Lankan Authorities. As a result we plan to inaugurate services to both Sri Lanka and the Maldives with effect from October 17."

arabianbusiness.com

British Airways launching service to the Maldives, Sharm El Sheikh

British Airways on October 25 will launch new three-a-week flights from London Gatwick to both Male in the Maldives and Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt. This will be the first time British Airways has flown to the Maldives, but will be a return to the Red Sea resort.

Flight schedules, ticket prices and complete holiday information may be obtained from local travel agents, by visiting British Airways website at www.ba.com or by calling the airline toll-free at 1-800-AIRWAYS.


examiner.com

British Airways set to launch two new routes including Maldives

British Airways - the UK's flagship carrier which operates 21 weekly flights from the UAE to London Heathrow - is to launch new thrice-weekly direct service from Gatwick to both Male' in the Maldives and Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt from October 25, 2009

This will be the first time British Airways has flown to the Maldives, but will be a return for the airline's trademark flag in the Red Sea resort.

The routes will be operated by Boeing 777 aircraft with a three-class configuration: World Traveller, World Traveller Plus and Club World.

Paolo De Renzis, Area Commercial Manager Middle East, said: 'We are committed to expanding our global network by introducing routes which offer customers increased options and convenience. The plan to launch these new services is consistent with our corporate strategy of servicing routes which are expected to yield high demand and research we have conducted indicates that the potential on these new routes is promising.'

Richard Tams, British Airways' head of UK & Ireland sales, echoed De Renzis' sentiments:

'These new routes will be great assets to the BA network and a real winner with customers. They are both perfect holiday destinations, known for their great beaches and fantastic diving. We're particularly pleased to be serving a completely new destination, the Maldives and returning to Sharm El Sheikh. We expect both routes to perform well.'

A wide range of good value hotels from independent properties to luxury five-star resorts in both the Maldives and Sharm el Sheikh will be available to book on ba.com giving further choice and flexibility to all holidaymakers.

Other changes to the network include the cessation of the London Gatwick to New York flight from October 25.

British Airways operates up to ten daily flights to New York and will launch the first ever London City - New York service later this year

A full timetable of British Airways' global services is available online at ba.com - where the lowest fares are guaranteed - and customers can book, pay and check-in online for their flights.

www.ameinfo.com

Paramount Airways to begin international operations in Q3 of 2010

Leading airline of South India Paramount Airways, which recently expanded its operations after launching flights to Kolkata and North East India, has now decided to fly on international routes in Quarter Three of 2010. The airline will fly to Far East destinations such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok and also to Colombo, Mauritius and Maldives. It will also operate flights to Middle Eastern destinations such as Doha, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. This information was provided by C R Kannan, Assistant Vice President, Public Relations and Communications, Paramount Airways.

Kannan further informed that the airline will also operate flights to Europe and US in 2011. “We are confident to begin international operations in Quarter Three of 2010. The airline has large number of committed passengers on domestic routes and we will able to get that passenger support on Paramount’s international routes also,” said Kannan. Currently, Paramount Airways holds 27 per cent market share in South India. On the domestic front, the airline is planning to connect Tier – II and Tier – III cities of India, especially smaller towns. It plans to operate flights to Ranchi (Jharkhand), Shillong (Meghalaya) and Cooch Behar (West Bengal) soon.

Taking a step further in flying overseas, the airline recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus to buy ten A321 aircraft with an option of additional ten. A321 belongs to the Airbus family of A320 that includes A318 and A319. A321 can accommodate total 185 passengers in two class configuration and 220 passengers in single class configuration and is powered by CFM56-5 or IAE V2500 engines. The airline, which currently connects a total of 16 destinations in India, will soon add one more aircraft Embraer 170 (E170) to its current fleet size of five that includes Embraer Jets such as E175 and E170. The Embraer 170 can accommodate total 72 passengers with single class configuration (Business Class).

travelbizmonitor.com

Oman Air Unites With Shangri Resorts

Oman Air’s ‘Sindbad’ Frequent Flyer Programme has announced a partnership with Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts – Asia Pacific’s leading luxury hotel group.

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, welcomes business and leisure travellers with award-winning Asian hospitality. The group comprises of 62 deluxe hotels and resorts in key cities throughout Asia and the Middle East in locations comprising Australia, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Sultanate of Oman, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates, with new properties under development in Europe and North America.

With this partnership, Sindbad members are entitled to 500 miles for every qualifying stay at any of the 62 Shangri-La or Traders hotels within the family of hotels around the world.

In addition, Sindbad Frequent Flyer Programme members who are also members of Shangri-La’s Golden Circle guest recognition programme will receive additional Sindbad miles for each qualifying stay. Golden Circle Executive members receive 25% or 125 Bonus Miles and Golden Circle Elite member will be awarded 50% or 250 Bonus Miles. These miles can be claimed simply by providing the Sindbad membership number upon check-in.

Barry Brown, Oman Air’s Chief Commercial Officer said, “We are delighted to welcome Shangri-La as a partner in our Sindbad Frequent Flyer Programme. Our discerning members who enjoy the finer things in life will appreciate the exceptional hospitality, upon which Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts have built their solid reputation. We have a close strategic relationship with the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort in Muscat and as we spread our wings this year to Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, Sri Lanka and the Maldives the ability for our members to enjoy earning capabilities with this luxury group of hotels is a bonus. ”

Commenting on the new partnership, Kent Zhu, group director of sales & marketing, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts said, “The partnership with Oman Air’s Sindbad is an important milestone for us. With their strong base in Muscat and Shangri-La’s presence and recognition in the Middle Eastern market, especially with hotels and resorts in Sultanate of Oman, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the soon-to-be opened Shangri-La hotel in Doha.” Zhu added, “This will form a strategic alliance to empower our presence in the region and complements our synergies in terms of future growth with new hotels and routings in destinations such as Maldives and Paris”.

Malaysia Airlines and SriLankan Airlines expand codeshare partnership

Malaysia Airlines and SriLankan Airlines today signed an agreement to enhance their longstanding codeshare partnership, signifying a strengthening of the close co-operation between the two Asian carriers. The agreement enables Malaysia Airlines to codeshare on SriLankan’s flights to Male in the Maldives while SriLankan Airlines will access Los Angeles, Sydney, Melbourne, Jakarta, and Seoul through Malaysia Airlines.

Malaysia Airlines General Manager, Government & Industry Relations, Mr Germal Singh said, “We are delighted to expand our partnership with SriLankan Airlines. This will provide our customers with easy access to the Maldives, a favourite destination among high end tourists from Europe and Asia, while enabling us to further enhance our loads to the major cities in North America, Asia and Australia. Kuala Lumpur’s position as a key gateway for travellers will also be strengthened.”

SriLankan’s Head of Worldwide Sales, Mr Mohamed Fazeel said, “SriLankan is making a clear effort to strengthen our relationships with award-winning airlines in Asia, which is home to the finest airlines in the world. Both Malaysian and SriLankan have a history of winning global accolades for service, and we have no doubt that this partnership will be of significant mutual benefit to both airlines, and most importantly to our respective passengers. The partnership gives SriLankan access to several markets in the Asia-Pacific, notably the US west coast and Australia.”

Members of the frequent flyer programmes of the two airlines, Malaysia Airlines’ Enrich and SriLankan FlySmiLes can also earn and redeem points on flights of either airline. The codeshare is effective from 25th June 2009. Tickets for some of the destinations are already available in the market.

The two airlines have been codesharing between Kuala Lumpur and Colombo since 1999. In conjunction with the Malaysia Airlines Travel Fair (MATF), Malaysia Airlines is offering a promotional all inclusive fare of RM348 from Kuala Lumpur to Colombo and RM718 from Kuala Lumpur to Male from 22nd June until 5th July 2009.

ftnnews.com