Russian Airline Aeroflot resume operations to the Maldives with two weekly flights

The Russian flag carrier’s Aeroflot has resumed operation to the Maldives, landing its first flight in Velana International Airport on 11th September 2020, after a three-month-long suspension of operations in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Aeroflot is scheduled to operate two services per week between Moscow and Male, on the following schedule:

• Flight SU0322: Sheremetyevo – Male, on Thursdays and Sundays.
• Flight SU0323: Male – Sheremetyevo, on Fridays and Sundays.

The airline states that the frequency of flights is subject to change as its international flight schedule is restored. The resume flights between Moscow and Male will be a major boost to the Maldives’ efforts to revive the country’s tourism-dependent economy after reopening its borders on July 15. 

Maldives tourism promotion board MMPRC has launched previously launched an advertising campaign on 360°, a leading TV channel in Russia.  Russia has been a traditionally strong market for the Maldives. This year began with the Russian market ranking as the fourth-highest arrival market to the Maldives. It recorded an increase of Russian tourist arrivals by 29.6% compared to January of 2019. Russia currently ranks among the top 10 countries in terms of arrivals amidst the pandemic, and arrivals from the Russian market have been slowly picking up, since the reopening of the international borders of the Maldives.