NITN | @notintownlive | 06 Dec 2025, 01:58 am
Air India
An Air India flight. Photo: Air India PR Team
Air India, India’s leading global airline, and Maldivian, the national airline of the Maldives, have entered a bilateral interline partnership aimed at boosting connectivity between the two countries.
Through this new partnership, Air India provides its guests convenient access to 16 islands across the Maldives through Maldivian’s extensive network, enabling smooth connections via Malé to islands across the archipelago such as Hanimaadhoo, Kooddoo, Gan, Kaadedhdhoo, Kulhudhuffushi, Dharavandhoo, Maafaru, and Kadhdoo, among others.
This also enables Maldivian to welcome Air India guests from Delhi and Mumbai or those connecting through these large hubs onto Maldivian-operated flights from Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram to Malé and Hanimaadhoo Island.
The interline partnership enables guests of both carriers to seamlessly travel on a single itinerary that combine Air India and Maldivian flights, ensuring convenient connections and coordinated baggage handling.
“The Maldives continues to be one of the most preferred leisure destinations for Indian travellers, and this interline partnership with Maldivian opens the door to the country’s lesser-explored atolls and islands”, said Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, Air India. “By combining Air India’s extensive global network with Maldivian’s reach across domestic points beyond Malé, guests can now discover the true diversity of the archipelago on a single itinerary.”
Air India is the only carrier operating daily flights between Delhi and Malé, providing a direct capital-to-capital link. Air India deploys more than 55,000 seats to the Maldives annually (in one direction), contributing significantly to the country’s tourism and trade.
With an extensive worldwide network spanning five continents, Air India not only carries passengers from India to the Maldives, but also those from several points in Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East via Delhi.
“This partnership marks a new chapter in our efforts to expand accessibility to the Maldives and provide connectivity for passengers traveling beyond Malé to the atolls,” said Ibrahim Iyas, Managing Director of Maldivian. “With Air India’s strong network and our reach within the Maldives, this collaboration will play a key role in supporting tourism and business travel between our nations.”
The partnership aligns with both airlines’ goals to enhance regional cooperation and support tourism growth through stronger network integration, smoother connections, and improved customer experience.
- IndiGo expands Udaipur connectivity with new flights from Noida and Navi Mumbai
- Etihad Airways, Ibom Air agreement opens new travel links to five Nigerian cities from March 2027
- Air India adds a festive flavour to Navratri with special feasts
- Bigger network, more benefits: Air India and Singapore Airlines deepen strategic partnership
- Emirates Holidays launches Thailand Pass with shopping, dining, and leisure offers
- flydubai temporarily suspends all Israel flights after co-pilot’s alleged cockpit attack, crash attempt
- IndiGo BluChip turns two with month-long Blu October Festival and bonus rewards
- Air Canada extends Dubai flight suspension until March 2027, delays winter schedule return
- Israel-bound flight lands in Saudi Arabia as pilots fight in cockpit, stabbing triggers hijack scare mid-air
- Etihad launches Corporate Care with priority support for Business Travellers
IndiGo will introduce daily non-stop flights to Udaipur from Noida International Airport and Navi Mumbai International Airport, starting October 25 and November 15, 2026 respectively.
Etihad Airways and Nigerian carrier Ibom Air have signed an interline agreement that will allow passengers travelling with Etihad to connect beyond Lagos and Accra to five cities in Nigeria on a single ticket.
Tata Group-owned Air India on Monday announced that guests flying during Navratri will be served specially curated festive meals onboard its flights and at its lounges in Delhi and Mumbai.
