Maldivian has scheduled 213 additional flights outside its regular timetable to manage increased domestic travel demand during the Eid holidays, according to information shared by the government.
Speaking during the “Presser with the Spokesperson” series, Chief Spokesperson of the Government Mohamed Hussain Shareef said demand for domestic air travel rises sharply during the Eid holiday period each year. He made the remarks in response to a question from a journalist about the difficulties faced by the public in securing tickets.
Citing information from Maldivian’s management, the Chief Spokesperson said the airline has scheduled 1,277 flight movements between 17 May and 2 June to cover the wider Eid holiday travel window. Of this total, 1,014 flights fall under the airline’s regular schedule, while 213 have been added separately to accommodate the holiday rush.
According to the Chief Spokesperson, the period represents the peak load season for domestic aviation. He said one out of every five flights operated by Maldivian during the holiday period would be an additional flight compared with standard operational months.
He also noted that Maldivian expects to sell around 64,000 seats during the Eid holiday period. However, he said the airline had indicated that it is operating at maximum capacity and is unable to increase frequencies beyond the current level.
The Chief Spokesperson said the travel pattern during Eid creates operational challenges for the airline, as demand is heavily concentrated in one direction at the start and end of the holiday period. He said flights from Malé to Addu, for example, may be full at the beginning of the holidays while return flights operate with lower passenger numbers. Towards the end of the holidays, the pattern reverses, with return flights to Malé seeing stronger demand.
He described Maldivian’s domestic operations during such periods as a public service, rather than a route network driven only by commercial considerations.
The government has also said it is working to establish regional transport networks to support domestic travel within designated zones. According to the Chief Spokesperson, these services would operate within atolls in regional zones using wheeled Twin Otter aircraft, a model more commonly associated with seaplane operations. He said the service has already begun in the southern region.
The additional flights come as domestic travel demand around Eid continues to increase, placing pressure on the national carrier’s capacity and the wider inter-island transport system.
