Tigerair adds Maldives to flight network

Singaporean low-cost carrier Tigerair has added the Maldives to its growing network of destinations, following the airlines’ recent announcement of four new services from the Lion City to Lijiang, Chiang Mai, Langkawi and Lombok (see here).

Starting January 24, Tigerair will operate four weekly flights between Singapore and Male, the capital of the island nation that has come to be one of the most sought-after luxury destinations in the world.

The Maldives consists of 26 atolls in the Indian Ocean and has calm waters, excellent scuba diving sites and rich marine life. Many of the islands have been taken up by individual resorts that offer over-water bungalows and villas with direct access to the beach. The growing appeal of the country has led more and more airlines to launch flights there, including Cathay Pacific (see here) and Korean Air (see here). Other low-cost carriers that fly to the Maldives include Air Asia and Spice Jet. 

Notably, the Maldives role as a leisure and holiday destination has led carriers to use aircraft that are configured with fewer business class seats in order to maximise load. Cathay Pacific, for instance, operates the A330-300 which features only 28 seats in business (rather than its larger configuration that offers 44 seats). Instead, the Hong Kong-based carrier provides its premium economy product which serves to provide travellers with better comfort at a more affordable cost.    

For a story about holidaying in the country, see here.

The route between Singapore and the Maldives will be serviced by one of Tigerair’s A320-200s, which has a single-class configuration with a total of 180 economy seats.

Flight Information

Upon launching the new route, Tigerair will be offering special SGD133 (US$106) promotional fare, inclusive of tax. The promotion is available for booking from today through to December 1 2013, and is valid for travel between January 24 to September 20, 2014. 

For more information, visit www.tigerair.com

Clement Huang