Beond, an all-business-class airline that is aiming to launch commercial operations in November, has added two more cities to its list of planned destinations.
Dubai and Milan join points in Germany, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland that the Maldives-based carrier intends to serve once flights begin. The network announcements were made as the startup unveiled its first aircraft, an Airbus A319 seating 44 passengers in a 2-2 configuration.
Beond’s inaugural flights are scheduled for Nov. 9, connecting Male’s Velana International Airport (MLE) with Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. Service to Munich Airport will start on Nov. 15, followed by Zurich on Nov. 17. Operations to Dubai and Milan will then commence from late March 2024.
“The response by customers and stakeholders has been excellent in our launch cities,” Chief Commercial Officer Sascha Feuerherd says. “And now the interest has grown from other new origins on our route map.”
The Male-Dubai flights will provide competition for Emirates Airline and flydubai, which currently serve the market 28X-weekly and 18X-weekly, respectively. Emirates uses Boeing 777-300ERs on the sector, while flydubai operates the route with a mix of 737-8s and 737-9s.
Data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser shows that Male-Milan is currently unserved on a scheduled basis, but Italian carrier Neos will resume operations to MLE from Milan Malpensa on Oct. 17. The service will be offered twice a week onboard 787s.
In August, Beond raised more than $17 million in seed-round funding from investors, including family offices, angel investors and strategic partners. It also received Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation approval from the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority during the same month.
The airline’s first aircraft, registered 8Q-FBA, is almost 20 years old and was previously operated by easyJet and Sky Airline, among others. An unspecified number of additional Airbus aircraft will join Beond’s fleet in late 2023 and early 2024, the carrier says.
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