Malaysia’s Batik Air Commences Operations To The Maldives

Sunday 14th of May 2023

A budget airline from Malaysia, Batik Air made its debut in the Maldivian airspace on Saturday, 13th May 2023. The inaugural flight landed at Velana International Airport (VIA) last night at 20:30 hours and was welcomed warmly with a special water salute. The airline carrier carried 57 passengers aboard the aircraft during its maiden voyage.

With the commencement of operations, Batik Air will conduct daily flights to the Maldives. The daily frequencies are scheduled to take place between Maldives and Malaysia directly and by offering transit to Sri Lanka before travelling to Malaysia. The direct air connectivity between the two destinations is planned to start in late June. Boeing 737 aircraft with a capacity of 180 passengers will be used by Batik Air for operations in the Maldives.

Batik Air previously operated at Malindo Air, however, has rebranded since then with plans to expand its global network. In line with this aim, Batik Air has unveiled a series of new destinations including Maldives and has launched its services with special promotions to attract more flyers. The airline now has 50 destinations under its portfolio including key points such as Malaysia, Thailand and Australia.

By starting operations in the Maldives, air connectivity to the destination is expected to increase, boosting arrival numbers from other destinations featured in the Batik Air network. This will allow visitors to access more convenient routes of travel to the Maldives and help to flourish the tourism industry even more. The increase in the number of airlines flying to the Maldives has had a positive impact on the country’s economy and tourism sector. In addition to Batik Air, airlines such as Saudi Arabia’s Flynas and US Virgin Atlantic are scheduled to begin operations to VIA this year as well.