Three new Maldivian seaplanes to arrive this year

National airline Maldivian has said that three aircraft would be added to its fleet this year.

Managing Director of Island Aviation Abdul Harish told Sun Online that out of the three new DHC6 Twin Otter aircraft, one would arrive already today.

He said that the new aircraft would new create jobs in the airline, in addition to the 249 jobs that have already been created this year.

Maldivian has also said that its second jet aircraft would arrive in January 2015.

Competition in the local seaplane market has been non-existent since the only two seaplane companies Maldivian Air Taxi (MAT) and Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA) were acquired and merged by New York’s Blackstone Group. Seaplanes are the main mode of transportation between Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) and tourist resorts away from the central atoll.

Due to the geographical dispersion of the atolls, providing accessibility through a systematic means of transportation within the atolls and between the capital Male’ has been a costly and challenging task for Maldivian government.

Maldivian, which already flies to domestic airports across the country, commenced efforts to provide a seaplane service in October 2013 and already operates seaplane flights to Haa Alifu and Thaa Atolls.