A new carrier describing itself as the “only all-premium airline” of its kind, intends to establish the first nonstop link between Australia and the Maldives.
Called ‘Beond’, the Maldives-based carrier plans to launch in September 2023 and open for pre-bookings during the Northern summer.
Funded by UAE-based investor Arabesque and Maldivian hospitality company SIMDI Group, the airline will initially operate with a custom-built, Airbus A321LR narrow-body fleet, offering 68 lie-flat seats in a 2-2 format instead of the standard 220 seats, Gulf News reported.
“We are the world’s first all-leisure airline,” Beond CEO and Chairman Tero Taskila said.
“We launched the airline after realising that the leisure travel segment is among the fastest growing and will continue to do so for the next ten years.
A former Lufthansa executive, Taskila added that the airline intends to base itself “in five other hubs outside Dubai and Male [Maldives].”
Beond also plans to expand its fleet to include A321XLR aircraft, which are due to enter service in 2024.
“We are well placed to compete with-wide bodies in the long-haul segment as the aircraft can fly up to 12 hours due to its ultra-lightweight configuration, reducing operational costs by 8 per cent,” Taskila stated.
“This enables us to fly from Maldives to Australia or other European destinations, for example.”
Aussie plans
According to the Maldives’ The Edition, Taskila said the company planned to connect the Maldives with 60 destinations worldwide within around five years of launching.
“Once the airline operations commence, we will begin expanding our services,” he said at the opening of Beond’s headquarters in Male.
One destination it is eyeing is Australia. In fact, Beond has already included Perth in its route network, and the airline says it plans to start flights to PER in less than a year.
The Maldives-Western Australia service would initially utilise an A319 with 44 seats, with early estimates on fares for the inaugural Perth service put at around US$1500 (AU$2250) one-way, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
“We do believe we can compete on the lowest end of these [business class] fares,” Beond chief commercial officer Sascha Feuerherd said.
“The narrow-body aircraft we’re using, in terms of cost of ownership, are significantly cheaper compared to the wide-bodied aircraft [of other international carriers].
“We’re using some of the principles of low-cost airlines with a single-fleet concept – we don’t have three different classes, and that allows us to produce [aircraft] significantly cheaper.”
However, a Perth Airport spokesperson told Karryon that “currently, there are no scheduled services to Perth Airport with Beond”.
“Perth Airport has ongoing with discussions with a number of airlines to grow aviation and build more international connections to Perth,” they said.
SYD and MEL next?
According to SMH, the Maldives-based airline also has long-term plans for non-stop Sydney and Melbourne flights. However these flights depend of the delivery of longer-range A321neo LR and XLR aircraft.
“Sydney and Melbourne will take a bit more time because that requires a [A321neo] XLR,” Feuerherd said, adding that the airline hoped to launch Aussie east coast services before the end of 2024.
Time will tell what its Australian service/s will look like, but according to Gulf News, Beond says it will offer home check-in services – eliminating airport check-in terminals.
“The luggage will be collected from the passenger by a chauffeur and transferred directly to the hotel or resort room,” Taskila said.
Like other premium services, Beond says it will also offer lounge services and premium menus onboard flights.
Check out Karryon’s Top 5 Travel Deals for the latest Maldives bargain stays.
All images courtesy of Beond.
