Maldivian, the national airline of the Maldives, has unveiled plans to expand its fleet with five additional ATR aircraft. The airline is now seeking proposals from potential lessors for the new aircraft, which can be either brand new or used under lease agreements that last between six to 12 years.

Island Aviation Service (IAS), which operates Maldivian, has issued a notification outlining the airline’s search for three operating leases or agreements to be used in its operations. Three aircraft will be acquired by Maldivian under operating leases or agreements for use in its airline operations. One aircraft will be obtained through a sale and lease-back (SLB) deal or leased from another company to Maldivian. Additionally, the airline is looking for one flight under a finance lease or an agreement to lease the flight for use after purchasing it at the expense of another party. This aircraft will be incorporated into Maldivian’s operations in Q1 2025.

Proposals will be accepted until May 4, and the top three proposals will be selected and notified on May 21.

The decision by Maldivian to acquire more ATR aircraft comes after the airline signed an agreement in January 2021 to replace its ageing Dash-8 fleet with three ATR planes. Two new ATR-72 planes arrived in the Maldives in January and are presently in use for operations, while a new ATR-42 aircraft was used in flights in late April.

The airline’s move to switch to an all-ATR fleet was motivated by the challenges of maintaining the old Dash-8s, which are currently being phased out. Furthermore, the Maldives plans to sell its remaining nine Dash-8 planes over the next two years.

Maldivian’s acquisition of five additional ATR aircraft is expected to enhance the airline’s operations and support the growth of the Maldives’ tourism sector, which has seen rapid expansion in recent years.