Velana International Airport (VIA), Maldives is set to be the first destination in South Asia to be served by the Dubai airline Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on a regular basis starting from 1st June 2019.
Passengers travelling to and from the Maldives on Emirates flights EK658 and EK659 will be able to experience Boeing 777-300 ER’s fully-enclosed first class private suites inspired by the luxury automaker Mercedes-Benz. The aircraft features ergonomically designed seats, multi-million dollar upgrades and the latest version of the ice in flight entertainment system across all cabins which are 40 square feet of personal space each. The fully-enclosed six private suites are laid out in a 1-1-1 configuration, accompanied with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors and ultra-modern design features.
According to the Senior Vice President West Asia & Indian Ocean, Ahmed Khoory, Emirates decided to deploy these aircrafts on their Dubai – Male’ route mainly due to the ever-growing popularity of Maldives within their premium travelers, honeymooners and families from around the world, and as a way to show their long term commitment to the Maldives.
Emirates currently operates its latest Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to Brussels, Geneva, Vienna, Tokyo (Haneda), London Stansted and Riyadh and has made plans to deploy the aircraft on flights to Kuwait from 1st June 2019 as well. Emirates is the world’s largest operator of Boeing 777, with over 160 of them flying from its Dubai hub.