Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has reported the flight movement has increased to a record amount during peak tourism season in Maldives.
MACL's Associate General Manager Hassan Areef confirmed that Velana International Airport (VIA) has registered a record number of flight movement during the peak tourist season, adding that the airport had approximately 642 flight movements registered on January 7.
Last year the peak season flight movement had counted around 560 landings and porting.
"The airport recorded a total of 567 flight movements on January 2, 2017. This year we saw a 77 aircraft hike with regards to flight movements," Areef said.
The flights had included 108 international flights with 94 domestic landings and 542 seaplane porting.
At a time when the international airport at Hulhule' island has marked a record increase of flight movements, two new airlines had commenced their flights to Maldives during the last quarter of 2017. These include internationally recognized Air France and Italy's homegrown Alitalia.
India is set to start their Go Air flights to Maldives sometime this year while 140 chartered and private jets had landed in Velana International Airport for new year.
The increase in international flights show visible signs of a healthy growth in Maldivian tourism sector. Last year's tourist visit count had registered at 1.3 million holidaymakers flocking to Maldives while the visitor count had stayed at 1.2 million during 2016.
Tourism Ministry along with state owned Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) are actively working to promote Maldives as a top class holiday destinations catering for multiple traveler groups; including elite holidaymakers to budget backpackers and adventurers.
Meanwhile the government has ignited attempts to attract foreign investors to the local tourism industry in order to boost the tourism sector productivity and output.
