Luxury Escapes has announced that its history-making Melbourne to Malé service will operate year-round in 2027, following overwhelming demand from Australian travellers.
Launched in May 2026 in partnership with Maldivian Airlines, the route is the first and only regular direct service between Australia and the Maldives. Four months after launch, the flights have achieved a world beating load factor of 90% with the business cabin selling out almost instantly.
Luxury Escapes’ Maldives Resort package bookings have frown 65% compared with the prior year, with customer demand compelling Luxury Escapes to continue with the popular route.
Luxury Escapes CEO and co-founder, Adam Schwab, said the decision to work directly with an airline to operate a regular scheduled service has filled a clear gap in Australia’s outbound travel network.
“We had a short lead time between announcing and launching flights and took a punt on the ‘if we build it, they will come’ strategy – and they certainly came in far great numbers than we had dreamed,” he said.
“While couples make up the bulk of travellers to the bucket list destination, wee’ve seen huge growth from families, multigenerational travellers and even groups.”
Melbourne Airport Chief Executive Officer Lorie Argus said the continuation of the flights is an exciting development, not just for Victorian travellers, but also those coming from other Australian states including New South Wales and South Australia.
“It’s no surprise that direct flights from Melbourne to the Maldives have been popular with Australian travellers and we’re delighted that Luxury Escapes and Maldivian have decided to extend this service to operate year-round,” Argus said.
“As Australia’s largest 24-hour airport we are proud to help connect Australians with family, friends and experiences around the world, including bucket-list destinations such as the Maldives.”
Flights and luxury resort accommodation packages start at $2,399* per person for five nights and are on sale at http://www.luxuryescapes.com. Standalone flights can also be booked, return Economy fares start from $1,429*.
Maldivian Air’s A330-200 features 263 seats across Business and Economy cabins, with extra-legroom Economy Plus seating also available on the Luxury Escapes flights.