DIRECT weekly charter
flights to the Maldives
will commence on
November 24, offering nonstop
flights between South
Africa and Maldives for the
first time in 20 years.
Starlight Holidays has been
appointed as the sole GSA
for this new route following
the signing of an exclusive
charter agreement between
Air Tour Operators, SAA and
the Ministry of Tourism in
Maldives.
Starlight Holidays is
associated with the Foggitt
family. John Foggitt was the
founder of TFC Tours, the
pioneers of scheduled tours
for South Africans in the
1960s.
The flights will be operated
by SAA using an A340 with
business and economy
cabins. The flights will depart
at 22h00 on Saturdays,
arriving in the Maldives at
09h00 on Sundays.
“At present South Africans’
best option is to go via
Dubai to Maldives and, door
to door, this is close to 20
hours travelling time before
you transfer from Malé to
your resort,” says Daphne
Osborne, Starlight Holidays
director. She says the charter
flights will take seven hours
from Johannesburg to the
Maldives with a 10-minute
transfer to the resorts.
“Because the Maldivian
Tourism Authorities and
the hotels in the south of
Maldives are so enthusiastic,
they have given us very
competitive rates to attract
this new direct market,”
Daphne says. Seven-night
packages will start from
R18 990.
The flights have been
packaged with three resorts
close to the airport and offer
options of bed and breakfast,
half board, and all inclusive.
Maldivian Airlines
announced plans to launch
weekly flights between
Johannesburg and the
Maldives in August last year,
pending government approval.
The flights have yet to
materialise.
Lucinda Tyler, product
manager of Club Travel, says
the charters will be great for
the Maldives, adding that
there has been an increase in
sales to the destination since
the pricing has come down.
“Everybody has been waiting
for Maldivian Airlines’ flights
and it’s unfortunate that they
have not taken off yet.”
