Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, marked its inaugural flight to the Republic of the Maldives by touching down in Malé to a colourful welcome in the capital. According to a Etihad Airways' spokesperson here on Friday, EY flight 278 was honoured with a traditional water cannon salute and the 146 passengers were greeted by local Bodu beru (big drum) dancers and singers performing on the tarmac.
The Maldives is made up of close to 1,200 islands grouped into natural atolls; including 200 inhabited islands and 97 resort islands, with a population of close to 300,000 people. The region features deep blue seas, sandy beaches and turquoise reefs, and with its tropical climate and warm temperatures year round, is a renowned honeymoon and leisure destination.
Etihad Airways operates daily flights from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar and travellers can take advantage of these daily flights to visit the Maldives. The airline will operate a daily return service from its home base in Abu Dhabi to Malé International Airport.