Maldives, Ethiopia sign deal to launch direct flights
Dhaka: The Maldives and Ethiopia have signed a Bilateral Air Services Agreement, opening the door for direct flight connections between the two countries and expanding Ethiopian Airlines' reach across Asia and Oceania.
The agreement was concluded last month in Malé after two days of negotiations between Maldivian aviation officials and the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA), said media reports, citing the ECAA.
Maldivian Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen and ECAA Director General Yohannes Abera signed the accord. The Ethiopian delegation also included ECAA Economic Regulation Director Nardos Bedilu and Ethiopian Airlines' Vice President for Strategic Alliances and Director of International Alliances.
The deal grants Ethiopian Airlines Fifth Freedom rights through the Maldives, letting the carrier fly onward to Colombo, Perth, Sydney, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Jakarta, Christchurch, Auckland, and Wellington.
At the same time, it will allow Maldivian, the Maldives' national carrier, to launch direct services to Ethiopia, creating fresh tourism and trade opportunities for both sides.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, held at the Maldivian Ministry of Transport, Minister Ameen noted that Ethiopia is the sixth African nation to sign such an agreement with the Maldives, following Egypt, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, and South Africa.
He said Ethiopian Airlines has already expressed interest in launching nonstop flights from Addis Ababa to the Maldives once the agreement takes effect.
The minister said expanding tourist arrivals sustainably remains a key government priority, calling the agreement another step toward improving the Maldives' direct connectivity with major international aviation hubs.
The ECAA said the accord is expected to boost trade, tourism, investment, and people-to-people ties between the two nations while widening Ethiopia's international aviation footprint.
The authority added that the agreement fits into Ethiopia's broader push to expand international partnerships and build regulatory frameworks supporting growth in its air transport sector.
