Hyderabad-Maldives air connectivity faces uncertainty amid rising Indian travel cancellations

The decision comes amidst a noticeable trend of cancellations by Indian travelers, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the continuity of air connectivity between India and the Maldives.

Hyderabad: In a significant move, travel booking platform EaseMyTrip, has announced the suspension of all bookings to Maldives.

The decision comes amidst a noticeable trend of cancellations by Indian travelers, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the continuity of air connectivity between India and the Maldives.

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Currently, Malé, the capital of the Maldives, serves as a hub, which is connected to six key Indian cities including Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Trivandrum, Kochi, Delhi, and Mumbai. The existing air routes facilitate a varying number of weekly flights, totaling up to an impressive 58 flights each week to Malé from Indian cities.

Hyderabad sees IndiGo operating three flights every week. Bengaluru’s connectivity to Malé is established through Air India’s 3 flights, IndiGo’s seven flights, and Maldivian offering seven flights weekly.

Additionally, Kochi features IndiGo’s seven flights and Maldivian’s four flights each week, while Trivandrum is serviced by Maldivian, maintaining four weekly flights. Flights from Delhi to Malé are serviced by IndiGo with four flights per week, complemented by Vistara operating seven weekly flights.

Meanwhile, Mumbai offers a varied schedule, with IndiGo maintaining seven flights, Air India operating three flights, and Vistara providing an additional seven flights per week. However, recent trends of cancellations in flight bookings to the Maldives by Indian travelers have raised concerns about potential adjustments to these flight schedules.

The Maldives government suspended three deputy ministers—Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna, and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid—from the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Information, and Arts for derogatory remarks aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media.

Their comments came after Modi’s promotion of tourism in Lakshadweep, sparking a perception in the Maldives that his efforts aimed to divert tourists from the globally renowned Maldives.

The derogatory remarks drew criticism from Indian celebrities, including Bollywood actors and sports stars, expressing their discontent over the comments made by Maldives officials.