Mumbai Airport commences passenger flight operations between Mumbai and Male

From July 15, 2021, CSMIA is offering 04 direct flights, two each by IndiGo as well as GoFirst that are operated twice a week between Mumbai and Male. Recently Maldives has opened its country for tourists, vaccinated tourists are allowed to travel.

Travel to Maldives continued through the period of January-March 2020 until the suspension of international passenger flight operations. Since then, CSMIA has catered to the route once more from October 2020 onwards.

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Overall, during 2020, CSMIA witnessed the movement of over 371 flights carrying 46,735 passengers between Mumbai and Male. 

Prior to the suspension of travel between Maldives and India in May 2021 due to the outbreak of the second wave in India, Maldives continued to have a regular flow of passengers from Mumbai. The airport handled a total of 493 flights carrying approximately 57,765 passengers during this time with the route being operated by IndiGo, GoFirst and Vistara; IndiGo catered to the highest passenger traffic with 31,077 passengers while GoFirst and Vistara handled 23,763 and 2925 passengers, respectively. Furthermore, CSMIA noted over 30,725 departing passengers and 27,030 arrivals, indicative of the preference of city dwellers to travel to the land of white sandy beaches, pristine blue waters, sunny skies and tropical experiences.
 
On July 7, 2021, Maldives announced that tourists travelling from South Asia will be issued visa-on-arrival and allowed to stay in Tourist Resorts with effect from July 15, 2021. Towards this end, the Maldives government has also issued a list of resorts along with their respective opening dates to help tourists to plan their travel. The assurance of a visa-on-arrival at Maldives to Indian travelers provides an ease from regulations for enthusiastic adventure-seekers and leisure tourists and encourages spontaneous holiday planning. As a pre-requisite for the visa, passengers need to ensure that their passports have at least 1-month validity from the date of their expected departure in the Maldives as well as provide proof of a confirmed pre-booking at a registered tourist facility. Further enticing travelers, Maldives is also offering a tourist visa extension for long-stay tourists without levying any extra cost.
 
For safe travel, passengers travelling to Male are required to carry a negative RT PCR test result, wherein the sample was taken within a maximum of 96 hours prior to departure to Maldives. Travelers also have to submit a health declaration form on the Maldives Immigration portal 24 hours before their travel to the islands. Passengers travelling from Mumbai to Male are permitted to seek accommodation in tourist resorts and liveaboards on any of the uninhabited islands of Maldives with effect from July 15, 2021. Additionally, for transit purposes, travelers are also permitted accommodation in designated transit tourist facilities, as approved by the Ministry of Tourism, in the Greater Male Area for up to a maximum of 48 hours while awaiting their departure. Tourist facilities and guesthouses in inhabited islands will open for travelers from India on July 30, 2021.
 
Furthermore, the Government of Maharashtra (GOM) has announced an exemption from the mandatory requirements of a negative RT-PCR test result for all arriving passengers. As per the latest guidelines issued by GOM, any domestic or international arriving passenger who has received both doses of the vaccine, the second dose having been administered 15 days prior to arrival, does not have to present a negative RT-PCR test report upon entry to the State.