NITN | @notintownlive | 06 Dec 2025, 01:58 am
Air India
An Air India flight. Photo: Air India PR Team
Air India, India’s leading global airline, and Maldivian, the national airline of the Maldives, have entered a bilateral interline partnership aimed at boosting connectivity between the two countries.
Through this new partnership, Air India provides its guests convenient access to 16 islands across the Maldives through Maldivian’s extensive network, enabling smooth connections via Malé to islands across the archipelago such as Hanimaadhoo, Kooddoo, Gan, Kaadedhdhoo, Kulhudhuffushi, Dharavandhoo, Maafaru, and Kadhdoo, among others.
This also enables Maldivian to welcome Air India guests from Delhi and Mumbai or those connecting through these large hubs onto Maldivian-operated flights from Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram to Malé and Hanimaadhoo Island.
The interline partnership enables guests of both carriers to seamlessly travel on a single itinerary that combine Air India and Maldivian flights, ensuring convenient connections and coordinated baggage handling.
“The Maldives continues to be one of the most preferred leisure destinations for Indian travellers, and this interline partnership with Maldivian opens the door to the country’s lesser-explored atolls and islands”, said Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, Air India. “By combining Air India’s extensive global network with Maldivian’s reach across domestic points beyond Malé, guests can now discover the true diversity of the archipelago on a single itinerary.”
Air India is the only carrier operating daily flights between Delhi and Malé, providing a direct capital-to-capital link. Air India deploys more than 55,000 seats to the Maldives annually (in one direction), contributing significantly to the country’s tourism and trade.
With an extensive worldwide network spanning five continents, Air India not only carries passengers from India to the Maldives, but also those from several points in Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East via Delhi.
“This partnership marks a new chapter in our efforts to expand accessibility to the Maldives and provide connectivity for passengers traveling beyond Malé to the atolls,” said Ibrahim Iyas, Managing Director of Maldivian. “With Air India’s strong network and our reach within the Maldives, this collaboration will play a key role in supporting tourism and business travel between our nations.”
The partnership aligns with both airlines’ goals to enhance regional cooperation and support tourism growth through stronger network integration, smoother connections, and improved customer experience.
- Fuel crisis hits skies: Lufthansa cancels 20,000 flights amid Iran tensions
- Planning to Fly with Your Pets? Etihad Airways Rolls Out Special Offer on Pets Onboard Service
- Economy Just Got More Comfy! Air New Zealand Launches Sleep Pods on 17-Hour Flights
- Lufthansa cancels hundreds of flights as pilots launch two-day strike
- Air Canada Adds Tenerife and New Sun Destinations to Winter 2026–27 Network
- Catering truck hits IndiGo aircraft at Kolkata airport, flight delayed
- Air India makes history again—First airline to launch flight service to Halwara. Check out the date
- Game-changer in aviation: ITA Airways joins Star Alliance—Travel will never be the same!
- Lufthansa Unveils New ‘Future Onboard Experience’ in First Class to Elevate Long-Haul Travel
- IndiGo Boosts India–China Connectivity with New Kolkata–Shanghai Direct Flights
The ongoing conflict in Iran is exerting significant pressure on the global aviation sector, with rising jet fuel prices and supply concerns creating challenges for both airlines and passengers.
Etihad Airways has announced a special promotional offer on its Pets Onboard service, making it more accessible for travellers flying with their cats and dogs.
Travelling with Air New Zealand is set to become significantly more comfortable, with the airline introducing its innovative Skycouch — a feature that allows footrests to fold up and convert three Economy seats into a flat surface, giving passengers space to stretch out and relax.
