Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen has announced that Ethiopian Airlines is expected to commence flights to the Maldives within the next two weeks.

He made the remarks at a press briefing held by a Special Cabinet Committee established to address challenges arising from the situation in the Middle East.

Minister Ameen said an air services agreement with Ethiopian Airlines is expected to be finalised within this period, enabling the airline to begin operations to the Maldives shortly thereafter.

He also noted that Belavia is scheduled to launch flights to the Maldives from 1 August.

“Within the next two weeks, we expect to finalise the air services agreement with Ethiopia. This is a strong airline that will operate within our region. These arrangements are progressing well. From 1 August, Belavia will also begin operations. In addition, Maldivian is expected to commence flights to Australia,” Minister Ameen said.

The Minister further highlighted ongoing efforts to increase flight frequencies by existing carriers. He noted that measures aimed at reducing reliance on Middle Eastern routes have already led to increased scheduled operations by airlines such as Edelweiss Air, AirAsia, Air India, and Turkish Airlines.

Air travel to the Maldives has faced significant challenges since disruptions began in the Middle East on 28 February, with the tourism sector among the most affected. Authorities, however, continue efforts to mitigate the impact, with multiple agencies working to stabilise connectivity and maintain travel flows to the country.