Private jet arrivals to Maldives increase by 125%, says minister

Private jet arrivals to the Maldives have increased, according to Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen.

Speaking at a press conference at the President’s Office, Ameen said the number of private jets within the tourism sector has risen over the past year.

Data shared by the Minister showed that 84 private jets arrived in March 2025, compared with 189 arrivals in March 2026, representing an increase of 125 per cent. In April, arrivals rose from 64 jets in 2025 to 93 this year, an increase of 45.3 per cent.

The Minister also provided an update on tourist arrivals. He said the average daily arrivals last year were 7,085, compared with 6,855 so far this year, reflecting a decrease of 3.2 per cent.

However, figures from the past week show an increase of 2.2 per cent, with 35,653 tourists recorded.

Ameen said airline operations were affected by developments in the Middle East, with around 18 to 19 flights cancelled. He added that services by Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways have resumed, while flydubai and Air Arabia have also restarted operations. Aeroflot and Turkish Airlines have increased frequencies, and Belavia and flynas have expanded their services.

The Minister also noted that Australia has entered the top 10 source markets for the Maldives, which he linked to the introduction of Maldivian airline services to Australia.

He said these developments reflect ongoing efforts to support the tourism sector.