Local airline Flyme, on Friday, announced that it had conducted its first commercial international flight, crossing 876 kilometers to land in neighboring Srilanka.
Flight VP8910 departed from Velana International Airport (VIA) at 1317 hours, en route to Bandaaranaike International Airport in Sri Lanka. The ATR 72-600 was operated by a team consisting only of Maldivian citizens.
Prior to the flight, Villa Air stated that it had completed the rigorous certification process mandated by the Maldivian Civil Aviation Authority.
According to Flyme, the company will commence regular transfers between VIA and Ratmalana Airport as soon as Sri Lankan borders are reopened, while efforts to initiate scheduled flights to India are also ongoing.
Noting that endeavours to commence international operations began in 2019, Villa Air expressed gratitude to the Maldivian Civil Aviation Authority for overseeing the certification process amid challenging conditions as well as the Sri Lankan government and partner, Lanka Sportraizen, for cordinating and facilitating the first international flight.
Furthermore, the airline thanked numerous organisations and individuals that made contributions towards the milestone achievement for Villa Air and the Maldivian Aviation Industry.
Founded in October 2009, under the leadership of Jumhooree Party leader Qasim Ibrahim, Villa Air currently possesses a fleet of four ATR aircraft, consisting of one 72 seat AYR 72-600, two 68 seat ATR 72-500 and one 48 seat ATR 42-500.
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