RIYADH: Beond, a newly established luxury airline with its primary hub in the Maldives, has announced Riyadh, Munich, and Zurich as the inaugural origin cities for its flights to Malé.
Scheduled to commence on Nov. 9, Beond’s first flight will depart from Riyadh to the Maldives, the company said in a press release. Munich and Zurich will follow with flights on Nov. 15 and Nov. 17, respectively.
Sascha Feuerherd, Beond’s chief commercial officer, said: “We are thrilled to announce Riyadh, Munich and Zurich as launch cities for Beond. Our customers there will enjoy an incredible premium leisure experience on their way to Maldives, a beautiful destination.”
He added: “Our team is hard at work preparing for service launch with a goal to exceed every expectation of our first customers from the moment they book with us.”
Founded by Feuerherd, along with aviation veterans Max Nilov and Tero Taskila in January 2022, Beond is a joint venture formed by the investment firm Arabesque and the Maldivian hospitality company SIMDI Group.
The airline plans to operate to over 50 destinations in more than 25 countries with a fleet of over 30 aircraft in the next five years.
Beond recently received its Air Operator’s Certificate in Maldives from the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority, the press statement added.
Beond is focusing exclusively on premium travel in the leisure sector, with no economy-class seats, as it aims to distinguish itself from other airlines that typically cater to the business travel market.
The Maldives, located in the Indian Ocean, is one of Asia’s most sought-after tourism destinations. It has received accolades, including “Best Long-Haul Destination of the Year” at the UK’s Food and Travel Magazine Reader Awards 2022, and the title of the “World’s Leading Destination” for the third consecutive year in 2022 at the World Travel Awards.
