December 5, 2025 TnH Global

Air India’s new partnership with Maldivian provides easy access to 16 hidden gems across the Maldives

Air India, India’s leading global airline, and Maldivian, the national airline of the Maldives, have entered a bilateral interline partnership aimed at boosting connectivity between the two countries.

Through this new partnership, Air India provides its guests convenient access to 16 islands across the Maldives through Maldivian’s extensive network, enabling smooth connections via Malé to islands across the archipelago such as Hanimaadhoo, Kooddoo, Gan, Kaadedhdhoo, Kulhudhuffushi, Dharavandhoo, Maafaru, and Kadhdoo, among others.

This also enables Maldivian to welcome Air India guests from Delhi and Mumbai or those connecting through these large hubs onto Maldivian-operated flights from Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram to Malé and Hanimaadhoo Island.

The interline partnership enables guests of both carriers to seamlessly travel on a single itinerary that combine Air India and Maldivian flights, ensuring convenient connections and coordinated baggage handling.

“The Maldives continues to be one of the most preferred leisure destinations for Indian travellers, and this interline partnership with Maldivian opens the door to the country’s lesser-explored atolls and islands”, said Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, Air India. “By combining Air India’s extensive global network with Maldivian’s reach across domestic points beyond Malé, guests can now discover the true diversity of the archipelago on a single itinerary.”

Air India is the only carrier operating daily flights between Delhi and Malé, providing a direct capital-to-capital link. Air India deploys more than 55,000 seats to the Maldives annually (in one direction), contributing significantly to the country’s tourism and trade.

With an extensive worldwide network spanning five continents, Air India not only carries passengers from India to the Maldives, but also those from several points in Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East via Delhi.

“This partnership marks a new chapter in our efforts to expand accessibility to the Maldives and provide connectivity for passengers traveling beyond Malé to the atolls,” said Ibrahim Iyas, Managing Director of Maldivian. “With Air India’s strong network and our reach within the Maldives, this collaboration will play a key role in supporting tourism and business travel between our nations.”

The partnership aligns with both airlines’ goals to enhance regional cooperation and support tourism growth through stronger network integration, smoother connections, and improved customer experience.