If lazing on an overwater villa in the Maldives is on your bucket list, we’ve got some news that might tempt you to push that trip from “some day” to “today”. Instead of relying on a stopover, Melbourne is now the departure point for Australia’s first direct flight to the Maldives. Travel company Luxury Escapes has teamed up with Maldivian Airlines to run a direct flight from Melbourne to Malé, reducing the flight time to less than 12 hours. That means more time in the crystal-clear waters, and less time dealing with layovers. Here’s how it works.
Australia’s first direct flight to the Maldives, from Melbourne to Malé
Normally, a flight from Melbourne to the Maldives involves a stopover in places like Singapore, Colombo, Kuala Lumpur or Dubai, with travel times ranging from 15 to 20 hours and beyond. With this flight, you’ll jet off from Melbourne Airport and land at Malé’s Velana International Airport in less than 12 hours. It’s also an overnight flight, that conveniently comes with early check-in and late checkout at your resort, so you can spend as much time as possible in paradise.
The flight runs once a week, leaving Melbourne on Mondays at 11:20pm and arriving in Malé on Tuesdays at 5.55am. Passengers will board an Airbus A330-200, and you can expect the usual in-flight service from Maldivian Airlines. The flights are reserved exclusively for travellers with a Luxury Escapes package, which includes return flights and bundled accommodation deals. Return flights leave Malé on Sunday evenings, touching down in Melbourne on Monday afternoons.
“Travel to South Asia is growing with capacity out of Melbourne up 53 per cent on pre-pandemic levels, so I’m sure this service will be in demand,” said Melbourne Airport Chief Executive Officer Lorie Argus.
According to hotel bookings data from Luxury Escapes, the Maldives was the third most popular destination in 2024, with bookings up 16 per cent.
To start planning your holiday or to browse through the packages, click here.