Etihad Guest members will soon be able to redeem their loyalty miles for flights operated by Maldivian, expanding reward-based travel beyond Malé and providing international travellers with greater access to domestic airports, resort destinations and regional routes served by the Maldives’ national airline.
The partnership between Etihad Airways and Maldivian will connect Etihad Airways’ global loyalty programme with Maldivian’s extensive domestic network, offering travellers an additional and convenient way to continue their journeys across the archipelago. While a launch date for the mileage redemption arrangement has not yet been announced, the agreement is expected to strengthen connectivity between Etihad’s international services and destinations throughout the Maldives.
Once the arrangement becomes available, passengers arriving in the Maldives on Etihad Airways will be able to use Etihad Guest Miles earned through previous travel and programme activities to book onward flights with Maldivian. The facility is expected to be particularly beneficial for visitors whose resort destinations require a domestic flight connection from the Greater Malé region before continuing by speedboat or other resort transfer services.
With luxury resorts and tourism properties distributed across widely separated atolls, domestic aviation plays an important role in connecting international visitors with destinations located beyond the main international gateway. Maldivian serves airports across the country, allowing travellers to reach tourism regions that would otherwise involve longer or more complex transfer arrangements. The addition of Etihad Guest mileage redemption will therefore provide greater flexibility for travellers planning multi-sector journeys to resorts in different parts of the Maldives.
For resorts located close to domestic airports, enhanced airline connectivity can also support smoother guest arrival and departure arrangements. International travellers increasingly consider the full journey from their country of origin to their final resort when planning holidays, making coordinated air connections an important component of the overall Maldives travel experience. By integrating international loyalty benefits with domestic aviation, the partnership can help make these onward journeys more convenient for eligible travellers.
Mark Potter, Managing Director of Etihad Guest at Etihad Airways, said the partnership would provide members with access to destinations that could otherwise require separate bookings, while giving travellers greater choice in how they use their Etihad Guest Miles.
Maldivian Managing Director Ibrahim Iyas said the partnership would bring together Etihad Airways’ international reach and Maldivian’s domestic network, helping make destinations across the Maldives more accessible to Etihad Guest members.
The loyalty partnership builds on the interline agreement established between Etihad Airways and Maldivian in 2024. Through that arrangement, passengers can travel under a single ticket from Etihad-operated international services and connect with Maldivian flights to 17 airports across the Maldives, simplifying journey planning and providing better integration between international and domestic air travel.
The latest agreement will extend access to the same domestic network through Etihad Guest mileage redemptions, creating an additional travel option for passengers visiting resorts, local islands and other destinations across the country. The partnership also strengthens the role of Maldivian as a key domestic connectivity provider for international visitors arriving through major global airline networks.
Improved connectivity is particularly important for the Maldives tourism industry, where resorts are spread across numerous atolls and many properties depend on domestic aviation for guest transfers. Easier access to domestic flights can support resorts located farther from Malé by providing international travellers with more flexible options when arranging their journeys and redeeming loyalty benefits.
The development also complements the Maldives’ broader efforts to strengthen aviation connectivity and improve accessibility to tourism destinations across the archipelago. Expanding international airline partnerships, strengthening domestic air links and improving travel options between Malé and the atolls can support the continued development of the country’s tourism sector while helping distribute visitor movement across a wider range of destinations.
For international travellers, the ability to combine Etihad Airways’ global network with Maldivian’s domestic services through both interline ticketing and loyalty-mile redemption is expected to make travel planning more seamless. It also provides greater opportunities for travellers to explore resort destinations throughout the Maldives while making better use of loyalty benefits accumulated through Etihad Guest.
As the Maldives continues to strengthen its position as one of the world’s leading island tourism destinations, closer cooperation between international airlines and the national carrier can contribute to more efficient visitor journeys, stronger resort accessibility and improved connectivity between the country’s international gateways and tourism regions across the atolls.
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