Flydubai is first UAE airline to launch flights to Maldives’ Gan airport

Holidaymakers eager to journey to the Maldives from the UAE will quickly have one other method to get there.

Low-cost airline flydubai can be launching flights to Gan Worldwide Airport within the southern tip of the Indian Ocean archipelago, beginning in February.

The funds service will function a every day flight to the second largest worldwide airport within the Maldives from February 4, making it the primary UAE airline to function to Gan, a former British Royal Air Drive base.

Completely positioned for travellers flying to the Southern Atolls, the airport lies in proximity to a number of resorts together with the Equator Village, Canareef Resort Maldives and the on-the-market Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa, Maldives.

Along with current flights to Velana Worldwide Airport in Male, flydubai will function 28 companies every week between Dubai and the Maldives from February.

“The beginning of our every day flights to the southern island of Gan will give our passengers extra choices to journey to the attractive Maldives. This new service will cut back the commute time whether or not by boat or seaplane for these staying in resorts within the Southern Atolls,” stated Ghaith Al Ghaith, chief government at flydubai.

“The Maldives continues to be one of the vital fashionable leisure locations for our clients from the UAE, GCC and CIS. The extra frequency to the market will additional assist connecting visitors from Europe as effectively.”

Gan flights depart Dubai simply after 9am, arriving within the Maldives at 4pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. On each different day of the week, the flight leaves Dubai at 2.30am, with travellers touchdown within the Addu Atoll simply after 9am.

Regardless of flydubai’s status as a low-cost airline, economic system fares on the route begin from Dh4,050 ($1,102), and enterprise class fares will set travellers again Dh7,400. That’s considerably larger than Wizz Air Abu Dhabi’s lately launched Maldives flights to Velana, the place fundamental one-way fares begin from Dh319.

However for travellers staying in southern locations, flying into Gan might cut back resort switch charges as close by islands are reachable by way of a brief velocity boat experience as an alternative of seaplane switch, if coming from Male.

From a coral runway to the Maldives’ second-busiest airport

First constructed by the British Royal Navy, Gan Worldwide Airport initially operated with a coral runway and welcomed its first plane — a Royal Air Drive Westland Walrus — virtually 80 years in the past.

The hub was transferred to the Royal Air Drive and a everlasting runway was added. It was used as a staging submit for plane on their method to Singapore and different East Asian locations.

In 1976, the British handed the airport over to the Maldivian authorities and it started its new tenure as a home airport, earlier than being upgraded to assist worldwide flights.

Up to date: October 13, 2022, 10:33 AM