Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen has stated that the Government is taking measures to mitigate the impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East on the Maldives’ aviation and tourism sectors.

Speaking at a press conference held on Monday, the Minister noted that the Middle East remains one of the most important regions for tourist arrivals to the Maldives, and that the conflict has begun to affect flight operations and travel flows to the country.

According to the Minister, 53 scheduled flights were expected to arrive in the Maldives today, of which 18 flights had been cancelled. The cancelled services include flights operating from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Sharjah and Bahrain. He said the situation has been ongoing since 28 February, noting that a large number of cancellations within a short period presents challenges for the tourism industry.

The Minister also addressed difficulties faced by travellers due to the disruptions, stating that 379 tourists were stranded at Velana International Airport, with 110 currently being accommodated at facilities arranged by the Government. Despite the disruptions, he said some commercial flights continue to operate on a limited basis. An Emirates flight arrived in the Maldives last night as a rescue flight, while certain operations are continuing through limited flight corridors at Dubai International Airport and Sharjah Airport.

He added that several airports in the Middle East remain closed due to the conflict. While Doha’s airport remained closed until 9:00 p.m. tonight, flights from Muscat International Airport in Oman have resumed, allowing some services to the Maldives to restart.

Minister Ameen said the Government is working to reduce the overall impact of the situation and maintain tourist arrivals, even though a complete solution may not be immediately possible. As part of these efforts, tourists from five new countries have arrived in the Maldives during the past three days, while discussions are underway to increase flight connectivity from Asia, Southeast Asia and India.

The Minister also noted that efforts are being made to increase flight frequencies to the Maldives from airlines such as Turkish Airlines and Russia’s Aeroflot, adding that the Government believes the current challenges can be managed through coordinated measures and continued engagement with international aviation partners.