Universal Resorts are arranging a series of special chartered flights for repatriation of their staff from all its resorts.
According to an official by the group, Universal Resorts will be arranging flights to repatriate their local staff till 18th April to all Manta Air destinations and with national airline Maldivian to the remaining destinations through its scheduled flights. For the destinations where flights are not operated, the group will arrange vessels or will reimburse the ticket fares for the local ferry services to those islands.
They further highlighted that for expatriate workers, negotiations are underway to arrange a Maldivian charter flight for their respective destinations.
In a statement, parent company Universal Enterprises previously announced the temporary suspension of all its resorts for three months from April, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the group reported that resort employees will be given paid leave for the three-month period.
“We expect to review this decision once every month, with a view to assess the situation and return to our normal operations at the earliest,” the statement read.
“Our primary business is hospitality. … We are amongst the Maldivian companies worst hit by the global economic downturn. However, we are working to find ways to run our operations at some level and ensure that no employee is laid off.”
Universal Resorts is a leading resort group in the Maldives that has led the development of the travel and tourism industry in the Maldives for over 46 years, playing a key part in the transformation of the country from an island nation to one of the most sought-after travel destinations in the world.
The group now operates one of the largest resort collections in the country, including properties such as Kurumba Maldives, Velassaru Maldives, Kuramathi Maldives, Baros Maldives, Kandolhu Maldives, Dhigali Maldives, Milaidhoo Island Maldives and Faarufushi Maldives.
The tourism industry have almost come to a halt in the Maldives due to the travel ban implemented by the government to mitigate the spread of the virus. The staff at remaining resorts are required to quarantine for 14 days from the date the last guest checks out.
