News Desk
MALE’, — In a bid to diversify its tourism footprint beyond traditional European and Asian source markets, the Maldives signed a landmark bilateral air services agreement on Tuesday with Ethiopia, paving the way for direct flights between Addis Ababa and Male.
The pact, signed at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation in Male, connects the Indian Ocean archipelago directly with the primary transport hub of Africa’s largest and most profitable carrier, Ethiopian Airlines.
Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen signed the agreement on behalf of the Maldivian government, alongside Yohanis Abera Belete, director general of the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority.
For the Maldives, long dependent on long-haul traffic routed through Middle Eastern hubs, securing a direct corridor through Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa offers an alternative transit vector for travelers originating across Africa, South America, and Europe. Ethiopian Airlines currently operates a fleet of over 140 modern aircraft, including Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Airbus A350s, serving more than 130 international destinations.
“This is a key milestone under the president’s policy to cushion our economy against global shocks by establishing direct connections with major global hubs,” Ameen said during the signing ceremony.
The minister noted that Ethiopia becomes the sixth African nation to sign an air services agreement with the Maldives, joining Egypt, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, and South Africa.
The agreement is structured bi-directionally, also granting landing and commercial rights to the national carrier, Maldivian, as local authorities attempt to broaden the airline’s regional reach.
While an exact launch date for scheduled flights has not yet been announced, officials indicated that operational planning between civil aviation authorities and the airline’s management is already underway.
