FlyMe (Maldives) (Malé) debuted its first international route on September 4, a day after gaining the requisite air operator's certificate from the Maldivian Civil Aviation Authority (MCAA).
The privately-owned carrier said in a statement that its inaugural flight abroad was a charter between Malé and Colombo International in Sri Lanka operated by its sole ATR72-600 8Q-VAY (msn 1588).
"Flyme will continue work towards starting scheduled flights between Malé Velana International Airport and Colombo Ratmalana in Sri Lanka as soon as Sri Lankan boarders open, giving hundreds of Maldivian and Sri Lankans alike, easy access for transportation between the two countries," it said in a statement.
Scheduled flights between the Maldives and India are also expected to launch "soon", it added.
A part of the Villa Group of companies, Flyme launched flights in October 2011 and, until now, had plied domestic Maldivian routes exclusively. Its fleet entails one ATR42-500, two ATR72-500s, and a single ATR72-600. It also operated a single Cessna (single turboprop) 208B Grand Caravan amphibian during a brief foray into seaplane services although it has since been withdrawn.
