Emirates airline has emerged as the carrier bringing in the highest number of passengers to the Maldives so far this year, recording 29,340 arrivals as of 18 February.

The latest Maldives Tourism Updates report shows that Middle Eastern airlines continue to dominate air connectivity to the Maldives. In addition to Emirates, Qatar Airways carried 20,366 passengers during the review period, while Etihad Airways transported 17,176 passengers and FlyDubai recorded 14,631 arrivals.

As of 18 February, total arrivals stood at 390,004, reflecting an 8.2 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. Of these, 387,594 were tourists, 1,345 were business arrivals and 1,065 were cruise passengers.

Operational capacity across the tourism sector also remains high, with 98.4 per cent of beds in operation. A total of 67,027 beds were available across 1,278 facilities nationwide.

Regionally, Kaafu Atoll recorded the highest number of tourist arrivals at 166,867. This was followed by Alifu Dhaalu Atoll with 35,451 arrivals and Alifu Alifu Atoll, which reported 31,870.

The strong start to 2026 follows a record-breaking 2025, when the Maldives welcomed more than 2.2 million tourists for the first time in its history. President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has declared this year as “Visit Maldives Year”, with the Government aiming to sustain growth and further strengthen the country’s global tourism presence.