Key source market Russia to increase flights to Maldives

Russia, a key source market for tourist arrivals, has agreed to increase air connectivity to the Maldives, says Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Ameen.

Ameen traveled to Russia on Sunday, for meetings with top government officials and businesses, seeking to boost tourist arrivals from the country.

He met with Russia’s State Secretary of Transport Dmitry Zverev in Moscow on Monday.

In a post on X on Tuesday, Ameen said he had “good” discussions with Zverev, with both agreeing to increase air connectivity between the two countries.

He added that additional Russian airlines were expected to commence operations to the Maldives.

“…additional Russian carriers are expected to commence operations to the Maldives, further supporting tourism and connectivity,” he wrote, without elaborating.

Good discussions in Moscow with Dmitry Zverev, State Secretary of Transport of the Russian Federation; we agreed to increase air connectivity &
additional Russian carriers are expected to commence operations to the Maldives,further supporting tourism and connectivity. pic.twitter.com/mLAnLxXEyD

— Mohamed Ameen (@ameen3d) August 18, 2026

The Maldivian delegation that travelled to Russia includes senior officials from the Tourism and Civil Aviation Ministry and the Visit Maldives Corporation, as well as tourism representatives from the private sector.

The delegation has held meetings with officials from top tour operators in Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as travel trade partners, digital platforms, and hospitality companies.

Russia is currently ranked as the second biggest source market for tourist arrivals to the Maldives, with over 197,800 visitors as of Monday. 278,761 Russian tourists visited the island destination last year.