Maldivian to Operate 2,000 Domestic Flights to Meet School Holiday Demand

The national airline, Maldivian, is significantly expanding its domestic flight schedule to accommodate a projected surge in travel during the upcoming school holidays. The carrier plans to operate over 2,000 flights, marking a 17 percent increase in capacity compared to its standard operational schedule. Hassan Sharih Adam, the senior manager for marketing and communications at Maldivian, stated that the airline has proactively prepared for the peak period. Current ticket availability is designed to support a passenger volume exceeding 100,000 travelers across the islands. According to the airline's strategy, the schedule consists of 1,700 standard flights, supplemented by 325 additional journeys introduced based on passenger demand and data forecasting. This means that for every six flights operated during the holiday window, one will be a supplementary service specifically added to alleviate congestion. Maldivian forecasts that more than 110,000 passengers will travel during the break. The airline has allocated capacity for 91,700 passengers on regularly scheduled trips, with an additional 18,200 seats available on the supplementary flights. This operational scale-up follows a successful high-volume period during the recent Eid holidays. During that timeframe, the airline operated over 1,200 flights, comprising 1,014 scheduled and 213 supplementary journeys. The Eid operations transported more than 65,000 passengers, with one in five flights serving as an extra service to meet demand. As the school holiday approach, the national carrier aims to ensure seamless connectivity between the capital, Malé, and the various atolls, maintaining the mobility of residents and tourists alike during one of the year's busiest domestic travel windows.