Maldivian launches first-ever direct flight between Maldives and Australia

The Maldives’ national carrier, Maldivian Airlines has launched direct flights between Maldives and Australia in a historic milestone.

The airline’s A330 aircraft departed from Male’ to Melbourne on Sunday night, beginning the landmark journey.

The airline described it as “a proud moment for the Maldives.”

Flights from Melbourne to the Male’ typically involve an Asian carrier with stopovers in cities such as Singapore, Colombo, Kuala Lumpur or Dubai. Travel times usually range from 15 to 20 hours, though longer journeys are common, with total travel often extending well beyond the hours spent in the air. 

But the stopover-free route launched by Maldivian in partnership with Luxury Escapes, one of Australia’s top travel agencies, trims the journey to 11 hours.

The launch of the flights come ahead of the summer holidays.

The weekly flights will be operated by Maldivian’s Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft, configured with 18 fully lie-flat business seats and 246 economy seats.

Luxury Escapes is the exclusive booking channel for the direct flights.

The service – called the Maldivian Luxury Escapes Express – includes complimentary early check-in timed with the direct flight’s arrival, giving guests extra hours on the ground before official check-in times.