Male (Maldives), March 2 (Representative) Manta Air, a premier Maldivian carrier, forayed into international aviation through its maiden commercial flight that took off from Bengaluru airport for Dhaalu airport in the island nation on Friday.“This direct flight from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport to Dhaalu Airport in the island nation is bringing Maldives closer to India,” Manta Air Founder and CEO Mohamed Khaleel told UNI ahead of the launch.The flights are scheduled on Fridays, Sundays, and Tuesdays, arriving in the morning and departing late in the evening.Asked what made Pulse Hotels and Resorts foray into international air service, Khaleel said his company had no intention to enter the aviation business but had to rethink as its investments were about to fail because of the irregular transfer services at the Male airport to access distant resorts. “The guests had a tough time reaching the resort at Kandima Maldives because of the irregular timings of seaplane operations. To solve the lacuna, Manta Air was launched as a fixed-schedule carrier for which guests could make prior bookings for themselves,” he said. Khaleel is known for operating some of the niche hotel chains in Maldives.Asked why Dhaalu Atoll was chosen as the airport base, Khaleel said it was a strategic decision to address the cost and travel time due to the limited frequency of seaplanes.
Khaleel said the company sees an opportunity to grow in this area, considering the availability of 10 resorts operating around Dhaalu Atoll, including Kandima Maldives, Niyama Private Islands, Saint Regis Maldives and RIU.With the international operations at Dhaalu Airport, the company expects the locals to create a guest house market that is flourishing within the radius of Male where speed boat distance is possible. “Dhaalu atoll is surrounded by 5 small atolls and is reachable by speed boat. These places have the potential to unlock substantial opportunities,” he added. Asked what brings Manta Air services to India, Khaleel said India is among the top 4 countries in the world to visit the Maldives and has taken huge strides post-pandemic, bringing a lot of tourists from India, especially the honeymoon and family market segment. Khaleel said the company also wants to tap India’s lucrative wedding market which they are not able to pull off due to transfer logistics. “Is it possible to transfer a huge number of people to far-off resorts from Male? This problem can be fixed by this operation coming out of Bengaluru,” he said.With ATR service, Bengaluru is a viable destination with a 40 million population, a lot of it in the middle market segment, Khaleel said.
Asked about plans to expand operations to other Indian cities, Khaleel said the company wants to tap Mumbai and Delhi markets as soon it has a suitable aircraft. Right now, the company has ATRs that suit its operations in South India. The company is preparing to provide the infrastructure to international airlines like Indigo to cater to large demand from various parts of India. “As of now, AIX Connect has shown keen interest to fly here,” he said.Asked about any other plans, Khaleel said the company is investing in Dhaalu Airport to expand the runway and the terminal. By the end of 2025, Dhaalu Airport will have a terminal and a runway capacity to accommodate Airbus A321s and other large aircraft, Khaleel said. “We plan to add two Airbus A321s to our existing fleet of three ATR 72-600s and 20 seaplanes in the next two years to be able to expand our operations,” he said.Also in 2025, Maldives will have three new resorts that will cater to ultra-luxury and mid-market segments, Khaleel said.