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Tourism Minister Ameen speaking at the press conference held today - Photo: President Office

MALÉ: Seven international airlines will commence flight operations to the Maldives in the fourth quarter of this year to support the peak tourist season, the Ministry of Tourism has announced.

The incoming lineup includes carriers from Russia, Bulgaria, Vietnam, and Armenia, alongside Ethiopian Airlines, French Bee, and Kuwait Airways. Among the seven, two airlines are returning operators that previously ran seasonal flights to the country.

Speaking at a news conference held at the President’s Office, Tourism Minister Mohamed Ameen explained that despite ongoing regional geopolitical challenges in the Middle East, joint efforts between the government and private tourism stakeholders are driving a strong push to maximize arrival numbers during the final months of the year.

“These are significant additions coming into our market,” Minister Ameen said. “Therefore, we are very confident that the upcoming peak season will prove to be a very successful one.”

Statistical data shared during the briefing indicated that tourist arrivals fell by 24 percent year-on-year across March, April, and May. However, recent figures show a significant recovery, narrowing the annual arrival deficit to just 2.6 percent compared to the same period last year. Official projections suggest total arrival numbers for the full year will match or exceed last year’s performance.

List of Scheduled Q4 Airlines: Russian carrier, Bulgarian carrier, Vietnamese carrier, Armenian carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, French Bee, and Kuwait Airways.

Prior Arrival Benchmark: Total tourist arrivals reached 2.25 million visitors in 2025.

Current Year-to-Date Arrivals: Approximately 1.49 million tourist arrivals recorded so far in 2026, compared to 1.55 million during the same period last year.