Maldivian (Q2, Malé) will commence long-haul operations in 2025 using an A330-200, with several Chinese cities among its initial destinations, according to an announcement at the World Travel Market in London last week.

"This expansion project, backed by the Maldives government, aims to boost the country's tourism industry by enabling direct long-haul flights to destinations worldwide," a Maldivian government statement reads. "In early 2025, Maldivian will launch new routes to major cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai Pudong, and Chengdu."

In July, ch-aviation reported that state-owned Maldivian had signed a lease agreement with TrueNoord for the A330-200. ch-aviation fleets data shows that TrueNoord has a single A330-200 in its portfolio. That 14.16-year-old aircraft is currently registered as 9H-PAX (msn 1161) and in storage at Siauliai. It last operated for Airhub Airlines (RE, Malta International).

When announcing the lease, Maldivian Managing Director Ibrahim Iyas said the aircraft would arrive in the final quarter of 2024 and "be instrumental in expanding our international network, creating new opportunities for tourism and trade in the region."

The A330-200 will boost join Maldivian's fleet of one A320-200, two ATR42-600s, two ATR72-600s, eleven DHC-6-300s, one DHC-8-200, one DHC-8-Q200, and seven DHC-8-Q300s. Most of Maldivian's 21 destinations are within the Maldives. However, the airline also operates scheduled services to Colombo International, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi International, Bengaluru International, and Dhaka.

While Maldivian does not yet operate services to China, several Chinese airlines already fly into Malé, including Capital Airlines (China) from Beijing Daxing International; Sichuan Airlines from Chengdu Tianfu; China Eastern Airlines from Shanghai Pudong; and Xiamen Airlines from Xiamen.