Maldivian: 60 percent of the passengers are tourists

National Airline, Maldivian has said that 60 percent of their passengers are tourist.

Speaking to the press yesterday, the Managing Director of Island Aviation, Abdul Haaris said that when the Maldivian airline started, on 25 percent of the passengers were tourists and now it has risen to 60 percent.

“As the tourist numbers rise, the efficiency of our flights are more. That is, when they travel we have to do on a specific schedule we have to travel.” Haaris said.

He said that there are benefits to the locals as well with the tourist numbers rising and so to destinations that had one flight per day five years ago now have five flights per day.

Haaris said that if tourism is to expand, flights have to go there and to expand tourism across the country; the Government has ordered to widen the role of the airline.

In an effort to expand their services, Maldivian brought the 16 addition to their fleet yesterday. With the new airplane, The Maldivian fleet now includes an A320 Airbus, an A321 plane right Dash-8 planes and six twin-otters. Eight of those planes are 50 seat planes.