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COLOMBO, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- MEGA Maldives Airlines, an international airlines operating in the Maldives, will launch direct flights between the Maldives and India, a local media report said on Monday.
MEGA Maldives Airlines is the second airline based in the Maldives that has been awarded the permit to operate flights, and follows on from MEGA's success in operating flights between China and the Maldives, where MEGA is the current market leader.
According to the media report, being in such close proximity to the Maldives, the growing Indian market is deemed to be important to the country's tourism.
In 2015, Indian arrivals to the Maldives stood at just over 50,000 and the market itself has already increased 25 percent in 2016.
While there has not been direct connectivity between the capitals of the two countries in the past, MEGA Maldives Airlines said that non-stop flights from Delhi to Male would further contribute to an increase in tourist arrivals, and would also serve the business and diplomatic communities of both countries.
The airline is currently in the process of planning the schedule of flights between the two capitals.
