COVID19- Seaplanes Stored as Air Travel Stops

Saturday 4th of April 2020

COVID19- Seaplanes Stored as Air Travel Stops

In Maldives, seaplane is one of the most important modes of transport as the coral islands are scattered over the water. Whether its domestic travel or tourist transfers, seaplanes are a preferable way of transportation.

There are three airlines that provide seaplane service in the Maldives: flagship carrier Maldivian, Manta Air, which operates the country’s first and only scheduled seaplane service, and Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA), the world’s largest seaplane operator.

Due to the pandemic, resorts have closed down, bookings at guesthouses have been prohibited and on-arrival visa was suspended. All of this takes a toll on the aviation industry of the country. Almost all the domestic carriers have suspended commercial flight operations, owing to a slump in tourist arrivals due to a blanket suspension of on-arrival visa. Tourist arrivals saw a year-over-year decline of 22.8 per cent in the first 10 days of March.