Travel news: First-ever direct flights from Australia to the Maldives announced
Updated . First published
Direct flights to the Maldives
Dec 19: For the first time ever, direct flights between Australia and the Maldives will take off.
Luxury Escapes and Maldivian will launch non-stop flights next year, operating weekly on a Monday.
Current flights from Australia to the Maldives require a stopover in destinations such as Singapore, Doha, Columbo or Dubai with a travel time of more than 20 hours.
The new flight, exclusively for Luxury Escapes customers, is direct to Malé and takes around eleven hours outwards and just over ten hours for the return leg.
Luxury Escapes Co-Founder and CEO Adam Schwab, says the charter with the Maldives national carrier comes off the back of thousands of customer requests for direct flights.
To celebrate the news, Luxury Escapes has a launch offer starting from $2,599 per person all-inclusive for five nights, in a five-star resort.
Dec 18: Fiji Airways has launched a new route to the Pacific Island nation.
Starting in June 2026, the carrier will operate direct flights between Gold Coast Airport (OOL) and Nadi International Airport (NAN).
The new service will start on Thursday, 11 June 2026, three times a week on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays using the airline's Boeing 737-MAX 8 aircraft.
With a flight time of just over three hours, the route offers a faster connection between the Gold Coast and Fiji.
It also offers an easier way for passengers to fly from the Gold Coast to the USA, as Fiji Airways offers connecting flights from Nadi to Los Angeles, Dallas Fort Worth, Vancouver and Honolulu.
Introductory fares start at $549 return to Fiji and at $999 return to America (via Nadi).
Aussies are saving for and spending more on travel and experiences than ever, despite an ongoing cost-of-living crisis, and continuously changing travel requirements around the world.
From new hotel openings, new flights, and a host of fun new experiences opening up around the globe, this year is set to be a fun-filled year of exploring.
Just in case you missed anything, here is some more of the most exciting things happening in Australia and the world.
Air Asia launches new Indonesia route
Dec 12: AirAsia has announced a brand new international route linking Melbourne and Bali, with tickets starting at $199.
"Bali remains a top destination for many Australians, captivating the hearts of travellers young and old," AirAsia acting CEO Captain Achmad Sadikin Abdurachman said.
The direct flights also allow Aussies to easily connect to internal Asia flights to explore more neighbouring destinations.
Passengers on these new flights can connect through Bali to destinations across the AirAsia network (like Phuket, Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur) without the need to collect baggage during transit.
Etihad transitions SYD – AUH route to all A350 aircraft
Dec 12: Etihad Airways' Sydney – Abu Dhabi route will now be exclusively flown on Airbus A350s, to accommodate increasing premium demand.
Etihad now operates 10 weekly A350-1000 flights from Sydney, including double-daily services on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.
