By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama  
The Maldivian, the flag carrier of the Maldives, announced the commencement of its highly anticipated service to the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) from April 25.   While looking forward to welcoming passengers on board, the Maldivian has decided to operate two weekly flights to Colombo, departing every Thursday and Saturday.

Commenting on the launch of the new destination, Managing Director of Maldivian Ibrahim Iyas said that they have long waited to serve Colombo and bring both Maldives and Sri Lanka closer on business and leisure.   
“This marks an expansion of our international network and our commitment to connect the Maldives to the world. We would like to thank all the authorities and partners involved for supporting and making this new route possible”, he said.   
The airline stated that ticket bookings for the new Colombo route are now available from all their sales channels including the website, mobile application, and their ticketing office, allowing travellers to plan and secure their journeys well in advance.   
As part of the airline’s commitment to convenience and flexibility, Maldivian will operate two weekly flights to Colombo, departing every Thursdays 
and Saturdays.   
This schedule has been designed to cater to the needs of both leisure and business travellers, providing options for weekend trips. Passengers will have options to connect to Maldivian’s extensive domestic network of 16 destinations with convenient connections.   
Eng. Athula Galketiya, Chairman of Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Pvt) Limited (AASL) said, “The commencement of scheduled flight operations by Maldivian at a moment when Sri Lanka is bouncing back to regaining the growth of the tourism industry will enable both destinations for collaborative wins.”  
For more information, travellers can visit the airline’s official website at www.maldivian.aero. Or contact Nawaloka Air Services Pvt Ltd on +94 112 325 500, the General Sales Agent in Sri Lanka.