All Business flights to the Maldives: airline BeOnd ready to take off
It is a model never tried before in the aviation world, and curiosity and expectations are enormous. BeOnd, a new company [...]
BeOnd
MLE
Maldives
It is a model that has never been tried before in the aviation world, and the curiosity and expectations are enormous. BeOnd, a new Maldivian-flagged airline, is now ready to inaugurate its first flights between Dubai and Malé Airport.
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Nothing new, except that the carrier will use a single-aisle aircraft (theAirbus A321LR) outfitted with only one class of service, Business, for a total of 68 seats on board instead of the classic 220.
The All Business Project on the Maldives
Beond's ambition is to connect the Maldives with the major markets in Asia and Europe offering a ground and on-board service that is termed "Premium."
A formula that is very close to that of La Compagnie, which flies all business from Paris and Milan to New York and just earned the title of best airline at the Travel & Leisure Awards.
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There is one big difference, however: La Compagnie focuses on a top destination in the world where people travel for business, leisure, honeymoon, family and ethnic tourism. In general it is not so difficult to fill the plane unless you get the pricing totally wrong (and La Compagnie did not; in fact it held very well despite the fact that Milan-New York is a route congested with as many as 7 airlines operators).
A unique model in the market
BeOnd's challenge, on the other hand, is entirely new: to experience All Business to a quintessential leisure destination; which has some high peaks during the peak season and facing competition from large Gulf airlines and private flights.
If many airlines around the world think they dismantle their first class cabins. to make more room for Business and Premium Economy--see Qatar Airways, Air New Zealand, South African Airways, Turkish Airlines, Malaysian Airlines, and Latam--at the same time, the model of carriers going all out for single-aisle planes such as the A321 that offer luxury services and seats is spreading.
The only other example-besides La Compagnie-is being experienced by the Italian tour operator Valtur which during this summer launched flights All Business between Milan and Sardinia for customers at its resorts. An experiment that Valtur - controlled by Nicolaus Group - plans to reintroduce and expand in the coming months for the high-spending segment.
The launch of operations in Dubai
These days, therefore, BeOnd has received approval and flight licenses from the regulator of the Maldives. In detail, the carrier has obtained the Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization (Camo) from the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority (Mcaa) that will allow it to operate commercial flights.
The airline, led by Max Nilov as chief strategy officer and Tero Taskila as ceo, aims to launch operations as early as next September with the flight connecting the archipelago to Dubai.
BeOnd was established in Novmeber 2022 as a joint venture between Arabesque, an investment company based in the United Arab Emirates, and the Simdi Group, a hospitality-related company based in the Maldives. The carrier has ambitious goals and aims to operate from 50 destinations by 2028.
As mentioned above, the airline will operate A321LRs with only 68 seats in Business, consisting of lie-flat (fully reclining) seats - equipped with iPad Pro and wireless headphones, replacing traditional entertainment systems - arranged in a 2-2 configuration.
BeOnd aims to provide a complete luxury experience, including. Michelin-starred menu board, private limousine transfers and check-in available already at home with baggage claim at the home.
Flights also to Milan
Wherever possible, finally, Beond also plans to fly to and from private terminals, eliminating the need for long lines at security checkpoints. Ticket prices are expected to start from $1,500 each way.
CEO, Tero Taskila said in a recent interview that the airline "does not target the segment of those who can afford private jets. Instead, we aim for travelers who have not been able to find space in first class on other airlines, or cannot afford it because they are a family of four."
"Maldives was also the best solution for us in terms of government support. They also allowed us to get domestic carrier status, which is very important. We are the only carrier that can fly up to 80 destinations departing from Male. So, we are in an almost monopolistic situation for the future," the ceo recalled.
Among the destinations Beond plans to serve in the coming years are: Mumbai, Riyadh, Jeddah, Delhi, Astana, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Singapore. But there is also room for routes to Europe: the company is banking on connections to Italy - Milan is the number one candidate - as well as Vienna, Paris, Munich and Zurich.
The network, therefore, includes a variety of cities in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, which could provide sufficient "premium" demand for Make the airline's flights profitable.
However, there are many risks associated with a business model that must survive even during the off season and must be able to compete with the many routes offered by the world's major airlines.
