Festive atmosphere: Russia and Maldives have agreed to increase the number of flights
By the New Year holidays, Russia will increase the number of flights to the Maldives, the Ministry of Transport told Izvestia. New airlines will be added to Aeroflot, which now mainly transports passengers. The number of flights may double to almost two dozen per week. The demand for holidays in the archipelago is growing: in January–September 2026, more than 229 thousand Russians visited it — 15% more than a year earlier. However, the appearance of new flights will not necessarily lead to cheaper tickets, experts say. And in most cases, accommodation still costs more than the flight itself.
There will be more flights to Maldives by New Year
Currently, Aeroflot mainly flies to the Maldives — it operates nine flights a week from Moscow, but does not plan to increase their number yet. But by the start of the highest season, flights will be expanded at the expense of other carriers, the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation told Izvestia.
— Azur Air Airline plans to launch flights on the Moscow – Male route with a frequency of three flights per week starting from the end of October 2026. During the New Year holidays, it is planned to increase the frequency of flights to seven flights per week," the ministry said.
In addition, other carriers will enter the route. For example, Ural Airlines is working on the possibility of launching direct flights, the Ministry of Transport told Izvestia and confirmed it in the company itself. At the same time, the specific departure cities and launch dates for the 2026/27 winter season have not yet been determined.
There will also be a flight from Siberia. Starting from October 30, S7 Airlines will fly from Novosibirsk to Male twice a week: on Mondays and Fridays. There will be a technical stop in Jaipur, India, on the way, but passengers will not have to transfer. Thus, a minimum of 18 flights per week will be operated from Russia to the Maldives this winter.
For an island nation, this can be a significant help in increasing income. Tourism accounts for a third of the country's GDP and provides jobs for about half of the working-age population. In 2025, about 2.25 million tourists visited the country, and the industry's revenues exceeded $5.4 billion. A significant proportion of travelers come from Russia, as well as from China. And the tourist flow from our country is only growing. From January to September 2026, 229.2 thousand Russians visited the islands, which is almost 15% more than in the same period last year.
At the same time, it is not a fact that the expansion of flights will reduce the prices of air tickets, said Artur Muradian, Vice President of ATOR, CEO of Space Travel. A flight from Moscow to Male and back for the next dates in October from Aeroflot will cost about 75-85 thousand rubles per person. On New Year's holidays, prices for individual dates can reach 100-120 thousand rubles and above. You can find tickets for 56-60 thousand in the low season, that is, from May to the beginning of autumn.
A direct flight may be more expensive than a connecting flight: a number of foreign carriers fly with transfers in the Persian Gulf, Turkey or China. For example, flydubai offers round-trip tickets starting from 65.8 thousand rubles.
How much does a Maldives tour cost now?
In the Maldives, they rely on the Russian tourist and offer the maximum variety of holidays.
— We see the potential for further growth of the Russian market in the 2026-2027 season. The development of air travel and a variety of leisure options will help attract more Russian tourists," the Maldivian Association of the Tourism Industry told Izvestia.
By the way, the bulk of the budget in the Maldives is spent on accommodation. This is another factor that may not make the resort more accessible even with the expansion of flights. Just one night in a hotel will cost about 30-50 thousand rubles, and in a water villa — 50-100 thousand rubles. As a result, a one-week tour for two with flights and accommodation in a four– and five-star hotel will cost 450-750 thousand rubles, and the cost of holidays in villas can reach 1.5-2 million.
A more budget option is a guest house, which costs from 4 thousand to 12 thousand rubles per day. Additional fees should be taken into account when booking: 10% for service, 17% tourist tax and an environmental fee of $12 per person per night in a resort hotel or $6 in a small guesthouse on an inhabited island. Some of the fees may already be included in the total amount.
The choice is really big, said Dmitry Gorin, Vice President of the PCT. Some are attracted by solitude and villas on the water with a private pool, others by diving and fishing, and others by romance and gastronomy. Four-star all-inclusive hotels are suitable for families, as the costs are known in advance. For those who prefer a more budget option, guest houses remain.
Russian tourists are increasingly choosing the Maldives: if 80 thousand people visited the archipelago in 2019, then in 2025 — almost 300 thousand. According to Gorin, a significant part of the growth came from organized tourism. There are advantages here. Tour operators receive special rates for hotels and transfers, and sometimes they add a free night or a room of a higher category. There is also a plus in case of failures: if the flight is canceled, the tour operator will return the tourists home and resolve the housing issue.
Maldives is also arguing with Seychelles and Mauritius for wealthy tourists, but there are still more activities for travelers, experts emphasize. At the same time, the Muslim lifestyle of the country does not hinder the development of the industry.: resort hotels usually occupy separate islands, where the usual conditions are created for vacationers, whereas on inhabited islands there are stricter standards, including in terms of clothing.
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