Etihad begins services to the Maldives

Etihad Airways has announced it will commence operations to Malé, the capital city of the Republic of Maldives, on November 1st.

The airline – which was recognised by the World Travel Awards as the World’s Leading Airline for the second consecutive year in 2010 – will operate a daily return service from its home base in Abu Dhabi.

The route will be operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft, configured with two cabins and offering 1,904 seats each week.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief executive, said: “Malé is 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.

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.