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Tuesday 16 Sep 2025
LOCAL EDITION
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LOCAL EDITION
Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen arrives in Fuvahmulah City on a Maldivian flight on September 15, 2025. (Photo/Transport Ministry)
Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen continues to remain silent on the progress in efforts to reduce the fares charged by the national airline, Maldivian, for domestic air travel.
During a Parliament sitting back in May, Ameen said that the national airline was working on reducing its domestic airfares.
On August 10, Sun asked him for an update regarding the progress of these efforts, as well the challenges in bringing down domestic airfares, and estimated timeframe during with the government expects to get it done.
The next day, Ameen responded that he would provide an answer on August 13. And when asked for an update on September 1, he wrote back that he would provide a response after concluding a visit to China on September 5.
However, he has yet to provide a response.
The media department of the Transport Ministry has also been unresponsive to queries seeking an update.
Maldivian’s domestic airfares (One-way from Male’):
In an appearance on SSTV’s ‘Baaru Hathareh’ program, Ali Saleem, the Deputy Managing Director of Island Aviation, which operates Maldivian, said that the challenge in lowering domestic airfares lies in the high jet fuel cost.
He said that the cost of jet fuel is higher in the Maldives, compared to other countries.
Saleem said the company purchases jet fuel at over MVR 19 per liter. And that jet fuel alone makes up for 40-50 percent of the total operational cost of flights.
He said that the high operational cost presents Island Aviation with major challenges in reducing its airfares.
Saleem said that given the high fuel cost and the monthly loan repayments, its current airfares barely cover expenses.
