Aussies can now buy flights to the Maldives for $100, as a new direct route to paradise launches
Australians can now fly non-stop to the Maldives for the first time ever, with the launch of a new weekly service from Melbourne to Malé.
And for a short time, travellers can buy a flight to the Maldives for less than an airport Uber fare.
Luxury Escapes is offering 100 Melbourne-Maldives return economy flights for $100 to celebrate the launch of the new route.
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Luxury Escapes are offering 100 return Melbourne-Maldives tickets for $100^. Shutterstock
The flights can be paired with a Luxury Escapes accommodation package, spanning a range of resorts and departure dates between June and September 2026.
The $100 tickets go live at 7pm AEST May 18th.
Currently, travellers from Australia to the Maldives require a stopover in destinations such as Singapore or the Middle East with a travel time often of more than 20 hours.
Now, with the Melbourne-Maldives route, it will take 11 hours.
The inaugural flight will depart Melbourne at 11.20pm this evening, carrying 264 passengers to Velana International Airport in Malé, the Maldives.
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The Melbourne-Maldives route will run as a weekly service. Shutterstock
Luxury Escapes CEO and Co-Founder Adam Schwab said: "The Maldives has long been a bucket-list destination for Australian travellers, but the time and complexity of travelling via a transit in Singapore or the Middle East had been a major deterrent."
Adam says that the direct route - plus the ability to package it with accomodation at a range of resorts from ultra-luxury romantic escapes to family-friendly options - "will position the Maldives as the new Mediterranean for Aussie travellers."
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The new flight route will cut out up to 10 hours of travel time for Aussies flying to the Maldives. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Melbourne Airport Chief Executive Officer, Lorie Argus, said the flights would be an attractive option for travellers.
"For the first time ever in Australia you'll be able to jump on a flight in the evening and wake up in the Maldives the next morning," Argus said.
"Travel to South Asia is booming with capacity out of Melbourne up 53 per cent on pre- pandemic levels, so I'm sure this service will be in demand."
