New airline Beond to offer 'private jet' experience to Maldives
Maldives is one of the most popular beach destinations in the world. Now, a new airline is set to make your flying experience to the Maldives more special with a private jet-like experience. The airline, Beond (pronounced "Beyond"), operates narrow-body planes. It features an all-premium cabin with lie-flat chairs that share components with Ferrari vehicles to imitate a "private jet" experience for the flyers.
Launching operations in September 2023
Beond, an airline based in Malé, plans to begin operations in September 2023. Prior to transitioning to the larger Airbus A321, the airline will initially operate a limited fleet of Airbus A319 aircraft. Dubai and Delhi are the first two confirmed locations. Over 30 airlines presently offer service to Velana International Airport, the main airport for the Maldives, which is near Malé.
Other features
Beond will only offer a total of 44 seats on its Airbus A319s, even though the plane can hold 156 passengers in an all-economy configuration. The larger A321 aircraft, which will enter service in 2024 and can generally hold up to 220 economy passengers, will have 68 seats installed on it. This means that there won't be the middle seats.
Staying relevant in the market
"The Maldives is one of those markets that can fill an aircraft, even a mostly economy class cabin." says Beond's chief commercial officer Sascha Feuerherd to CNN. "But that is making the Maldives lose some high-end passengers because if they don't find adequate transportation, they'd rather go somewhere else. That's where we really come into the game," Feuerherd added.
Beond will be priced 'attractively'
In contrast to other airlines like Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines, Beond plans to carefully select its locations and fly customers directly to the island. CNN reports that Beond, designed to allure travelers during the peak travel period in the Maldives (December to April), will be priced "attractively" with return flights from Europe starting at approximately $3,000.
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Beyond Delhi and Dubai
While Beond is yet to confirm more destinations, Feuerherd told CNN that once the airline reaches its capacity by the end of 2024, about 60% of the airline's traffic will come from Europe, with around 20 destinations. It will also offer direct links to Australia, beginning in Perth, and South Africa, initially to Cape Town. Asian routes will include Japan, South Korea, and China.
