Seeking to expand its service to include long-haul routes from the Maldives to China, Europe, and South Africa, Maldivian has put out a request for proposal (RFP) for the dry-lease of one Airbus A330-200. Soon after, the airline also issued an RFP for the dry-lease of one Boeing 787-8. The airline issued multiple similar RFPs in the past without results.
Continue reading to learn more.
Maldivian Is Looking to Fly to China, Europe, and South Africa
Maldivian, incorporated as Island Aviation Services Limited, is the flag carrier of the Maldives and is wholly owned by the country’s government.
Currently, the airline operates an Airbus A320-200 on mostly short-haul scheduled international flights from (Male) Velana International Airport, the Maldives’ main airport, to destinations in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The longest routes in its network are Male – Dhaka (four hours) and Male – Bangkok (four and a half hours).
Maldivian also operates an ATR 42, a pair of ATR 72s, ten Bombardier Dash 8 Q200s and Q300s, and 11 de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters on domestic flights around the archipelago. The Twin Otters are equipped with floats and mainly serve various resorts in the Maldives.
While the Maldives are a popular beach destination for tourists from other parts of the world as well, that demand is currently served by other airlines.
According to the President’s Office of the Maldives, “48% of tourists arrive through connecting flights, as there are no direct flights from the countries with the highest number of visitors to the Maldives. The majority of European tourists to the Maldives arrive through Middle Eastern connecting flights.”
In addition to year round flights by, among others, the ME3 airlines including Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways, there are also seasonal flights from European airlines such as Edelweiss Air and LOT Polish Airlines.
To capture part of that long-haul demand, on December 17, 2023, the President’s Office announced it will introduce a widebody aircraft to its fleet. The goal is for Maldivian to offer nonstop flights to China, Europe, and South Africa. China appears to be the main focus with the President’s Office aiming for “a minimum of two or three weekly direct flights between the vicinity and the Maldives.”
Maldivian Issues an RFP, Looking to Dry-Lease an Airbus A330-200
With the above plan in mind, Island Aviation Services Limited – the company running Maldivian – issued an RFP, seeking offers for a mid-term dry-lease of an Airbus A330-200. Interested companies can submit their bids by January 18, 2024.
Given that it is looking to dry-lease the A330, the airline is looking to use its own crews, etc. to operate the aircraft. In other words, it is looking to lease the aircraft only rather than wanting to have another company operate the aircraft on its behalf.
According to the RFP (I recommend skimming through it as it is a rather interesting document outlining the way dry leasing works), Maldivian:
- Wants the aircraft to be equipped with business and economy class, preferably with a minimum of 20 business class seats
- Wants to lease the aircraft for a period of five years starting from the second quarter of 2024
- Wants the lessor to ferry the aircraft to Male Airport and train its crew (pilots, cabin crew, maintenance staff, etc.)
- Wants the lessor to repaint the aircraft in the Maldivian livery
- Prefers the aircraft to be equipped with in-flight entertainment and wi-fi
- Prefers the aircraft to be ETOPS certified
Maldivian Now Also Seeking RFPs for a 787-8 Dry-Lease
On January 9, 2024, with the A330 RFP still in place, Maldivian also issued an RFP for a dry-lease of a Boeing 787-8.
The preferences Maldivian has regarding the lease are mostly similar to those in the A330 RFP, outlined above. Considering that the airline is likely looking to lease either the A330 or the 787 depending on the proposals it gets, that’s not surprising.
That said, while the A330 RFP is seeking an aircraft for a five-year term, the 787 proposal is seeking one for a six-year term.
Bids related to the 787 RFP are to be submitted by January 25, 2024, a week after the A330 RFP submission deadline.
Not the First Time for Maldivian to Issue Such RFPs
While I’d love to see a Maldivian A330 or 787 grace the skies and the airline operate long-haul flights, I am not convinced that will actually happen. The reason I am skeptical is the fact that the airline issued similar RFPs a couple of times in the past and never reported back on the bidding processes’ results.
There might be some others, but the RFPs I found include:
- One issued in early 2019 seeking a dry-lease of an A330-200 for six to eight years
- One issued in early 2023 seeking a dry-lease of two A330-200s for six years
Summary
Maldives are a popular resort destination not only for people from the region but also from other parts of the world including Europe. That said, right now, Maldivian – the country’s flag carrier – only operates domestic flights and short-haul international flights and the country instead relies on foreign airlines to haul tourists to the country.
Seeking to change that, the President of the Maldives is looking to have Maldivian lease an Airbus A330-200 or Boeing 787-8 and launch long-haul flights to China, Europe, and South Africa.
Given that this is at least the third such RFP the airline issued and the airline has not announced the results of the previous ones, I would not be surprised if these RFP lead nowhere.
First published on 2024/01/04. Updated on 2024/01/11 with information about a new RFP for Boeing 787-8.
