IndiGo starts Kochi-Male flights under air bubble pact

IndiGo said it has started flights on the Kochi-Male route from Thursday under the bilateral air bubble arrangement between India and Maldives.

Under an air bubble pact, airlines of both the countries operate special international passenger flights with certain restrictions.

"IndiGo commenced two weekly flights between India and Maldives under an air bubble from today," the airline said in a press release.

It said the flights on Kochi-Male route will operate on Thursday and Sunday.

"India is one of the key markets for inbound tourism for Maldives, while it receives a huge share of its medical tourists from Maldives," said William Boulter, Chief Commercial Officer, IndiGo.

Since July, India has formed separate bilateral air bubble pacts with countries like the US, the UK, the UAE, Qatar and the Maldives.

Scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic.