Condé Nast Traveler has announced winners of the Readers Choice Awards for Best International Airlines 2020, and several of these airlines offer direct connections to the Maldives too!
On the 33rd Condé Nast Traveler Readers Choice Awards, more than two-thirds of the Best International Airlines winners hail from Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.
- Singapore Airlines (Singapore)
- Emirates (United Arab Emirates)
- Qatar Airways (Qatar)
- Air New Zealand (New Zealand)
- Qantas (Australia)
- SriLankan Airlines (Sri Lanka)
- Aegean Airlines (Greece)
- Turkish Airlines (Turkey)
- EVA Air (Taiwan)
- Garuda Indonesia (Indonesia)
- Japan Airlines - JAL (Japan)
- Austrian Airlines (Austria)
- Virgin Australia Airlines (Australia)
- Virgin Atlantic (United Kingdom)
- All Nippon Airways - ANA (Japan)
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines has defended its place at the top of Condé Nast Readers' Choice Awards for more than three decades. Singapore Airlines is an industry favorite for many with regard to its reliability, comfort, and service. Singapore Airlines also operates the 19-hour non-stop flight between Singapore and New York--the world's longest flight.
Singapore Airlines has not resumed flights to Maldives as of right now, but its sister-airline SilkAir will be returning to the Indian Ocean archipelago this December. The regional carrier will be using Boeing 737-800 aircraft to fly to the Maldives twice a week (Tuesdays and Saturdays). Tickets can be purchased via the Singapore Airlines website, and fares start from USD 817.55.
Emirates
Emirates landings at Maldives' Velana International Airport was a regular sight pre-pandemic. Post-pandemic, Emirates was the second airline to resume scheduled flights to the Maldives with six flights per week. Since last week, the Dubai-based airline giant has increased frequency, and now flights daily between Dubai and Malé on Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
One-way fares between Dubai and Malé start at USD 404 and can be booked via Emirates' website.
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways, the first airline to resume flights to the Maldives after the country's borders reopened for tourists on 15th July 2020, plays a vital role in connecting Maldives with the world. Qatar Airways' base at Doha Hamad International Airport is a major Middle Eastern transit hub for travelers originating from Europe and the west to catch their connections to Asia and the Far East.
Fares for Qatar Airways' Doha-Malé services are available as low as USD 613.33 this October and throughout November. Tickets can be purchased via Qatar Airways' website.
SriLankan Airlines
Though Sri Lanka's main international hub Bandaranaike International Airport remains closed due to COVID-19, flag-carrier SriLankan Airlines continues to fly from Colombo to selected international destinations including Milan, London, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Paris, Sydney, and Malé in the Maldives.
SriLankan Airlines' twice-a-week Colombo-Malé fares start at USD 310 and are available for purchase on the SriLankan Airlines website.
Turkish Airlines
Turkey's flag-carrier Turkish Airlines resumed flights to the Maldives last August and continues to fly from Istanbul to Malé every Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday. Tickets are available for purchase on the Turkish Airlines website, for fares as low as USD 810 this October, and USD 659 in November.
