AirAsia’s Thailand branch, Thai AirAsia has commenced operations between Bangkok and the Maldives.
The airline’s inaugural flight landed in Velana International Airport (VIA) early Saturday, carrying 170 passengers.
The company stated that the airline will operate daily flights between VIA and Bangkok via an A230 airbus with 180 seats.
Thai AirAsia had announced the venture last June and carried out a special promotion offering fares of USD 99.
Meanwhile, AirAsia already operates flights between the Maldives and Malaysian capital Kuala lumpur.
In addition to Thai AirAsia, the Maldives’ national carrier Maldivian also operates to Bangkok.
According to Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), total 16,451 tourists had arrived in the Maldives from Thailand in 2016, which is a spike of 3.4 percent compared to 2015.
MMPRC stated that 9,276 tourists arrived from Thailand by the end of June this year. The record is an increase of 18.9 percent from the same period in 2016.