International flights to Maldives have increased in the first three months of this year, coinciding with the surge in tourist arrival numbers during the period.
According to the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), a total of 4,880 flights were operated by international airlines in the first three months of this year, in comparison to the 4,628 during the same period last year - posting an increase of 5.4 percent.
The airlines operated 4,444 scheduled flights to Maldives during the period. There were 4,141 scheduled flights during the same period last year marking an increase of 7.3 percent so far this year.
However, general flight movements have decreased in the first three months of the year according to the central bank figures. The general flights movements recorded in the first quarter stood at 436 as opposed to 487 during the same period last year.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, 866,462 tourists arrived in Maldives as of May, marking an eight percent increase over the previous year. On average, 6,877 tourists visit Maldives daily, according to the Ministry’s tourism statistics.