Pakistan, Maldives Move to Launch Direct Flights as Trade Target Set at $200 Million

Pakistan and the Maldives are moving to establish direct air links between the two countries, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directing the civil aviation authorities to fast-track a feasibility study for Pakistan Maldives direct flights. The announcement came as the two sides agreed to push bilateral trade to $200 million within two years — a dramatic jump from the current $13 million.

The prime minister made the announcement while addressing the Pakistan-Maldives Business Forum in Islamabad on Thursday, alongside visiting Maldivian President Dr Mohamed Muizzu. The forum was the centrepiece of Muizzu’s three-day state visit to Pakistan — the first by a Maldivian president in eleven years — which also marked sixty years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

No direct air link exists between Male and Pakistani cities today

Shehbaz Sharif told the forum that Pakistan currently has no direct flights connecting Male with Islamabad or Karachi, calling improved air connectivity essential for expanding bilateral relations. He said he had already instructed the Ministry of Civil Aviation to prepare a quick feasibility study for Pakistan Maldives direct flights and directed Pakistan International Airlines and other Pakistani airlines to explore ways of operating the route.

“Connectivity is very important,” the prime minister said, adding that the objective was to arrange an initial flight carrying tourists and members of the business community to Male. The move would open new travel and commercial opportunities for both sides, particularly for tourism — the Maldives’ economic lifeblood and a growing interest for Pakistani travellers.

PIA or another Pakistani carrier to operate the first flight

According to the plan, the first direct flight could be operated by PIA or any other Pakistani airline willing to take up the route. The prime minister stressed that the feasibility work should move quickly so that the service can begin without long delays. For PIA, already working to rebuild its international network, a Male route would add a high-demand leisure destination to its schedule.

Industry watchers note that the absence of a direct connection has long forced travellers to route through Gulf hubs, adding hours and cost to the journey. A non-stop service between Karachi or Islamabad and Male would cut travel time sharply and make the island nation far more accessible to Pakistani tourists and businesspeople.

Maldivian airline eyes Karachi route as well

The Maldivian side matched the enthusiasm. President Muizzu told the forum he had instructed his country’s airline to work out a plan for flights from the Maldives to Pakistan, and reports indicate the Maldivian carrier is looking at a direct Male-Karachi service. The reciprocal interest means the air link could develop from both ends rather than depending on a single carrier.

The two leaders also agreed that direct cargo and shipping links matter just as much. Shehbaz directed the maritime minister to develop a plan for scheduled cargo services from Karachi or Gwadar to Male, arguing that trade targets cannot be met without reliable sea transport for goods.

Trade target: from $13 million to $200 million in two years

The headline number of the visit was trade. Citing figures from Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, the prime minister said the two countries had agreed in principle to lift bilateral trade from around $13 million to $200 million within the next two years — a more than fifteen-fold increase. A Pakistani delegation of ministers and leading business figures is expected to visit Male within a week of Muizzu’s return to convert the understandings into formal agreements.

The business forum also highlighted halal and Muslim-friendly tourism as a shared opportunity, along with cooperation in education, artificial intelligence and digitisation. An agreement on air connectivity was among the twenty memorandums of understanding exchanged during the state visit.

What happens next

For now, the Pakistan Maldives direct flights plan rests on the feasibility study the prime minister ordered. If the numbers work — and with a $200 million trade ambition plus booming tourism demand, few doubt they will — Pakistani travellers could soon be boarding a non-stop flight to the Maldives for the first time. For a relationship celebrating sixty years, the two countries seem determined to finally close the distance between them.

Sources: official statements and national media reports.