IndiGo will be operating daily non stop direct flights from Cochin, India to the capital of Maldives, Malé starting from 19th February 2021.
IndiGo is currently operating 4 weekly flights between Male’ and Cochin. With this increase in its Cochin service, the airline will be operating flights from Maldives to 4 cities in India as follows:
To Mumbai – Daily flights
To Delhi – 4 times a week
To Bangalore – Daily flights
To Cochin – Daily flights
Earlier in August 2020, Maldives and India agreed to establish an Air Bubble between the 2 countries. This is the first Air Bubble established in South Asia. The flights are arranged in a safe corridor provided by the local authorities where the tourists can travel straight to their respective resorts from the airport without any hassle, in absence of quarantine restrictions.
India has become the top tourist arrival market to Maldives in 2020. The destination has welcomed 62,905 Indian travelers in 2020 with a market share of 11.3%. The island nation has also witnessed multiple Bollywood celebrity visits to the island nation in the last few months.
Maldives reopened borders to all nationalities from 15th July 2020. All visitors are granted a 30-day free on-arrival visa with a confirmed booking for a stay at any registered tourist facility in the country.
While there is no is no mandatory quarantine or testing on arrival, tourists traveling to Maldives are required to complete an online health declaration form and provide a negative PCR test result taken at least 96 hours prior to their departure. The negative PCR test result must be attached while completing Traveler Health Declaration form, which has to be submitted online via IMUGA (www.imuga.immigration.gov.mv), by all arriving passengers before arrival (but not exceeding 24 hours before arrival time).