Giving a boost to international travel and trade, a new Open Skies Agreement was signed between Singapore and Maldives on 1st July 2019. Singaporeans can look forward to travelling with increased convenience to and from the Maldives. The OSA enables local carriers to tailor their services and respond more swiftly to changes in the market.  For travellers, they can expect better offerings from airlines.

Currently, Singapore carriers only operate a total of 20 weekly services to Malé, the capital of Maldives. With the newly-signed OSA, the airlines of both countries are now able to operate an unlimited number of passenger and cargo services between and beyond Singapore and Maldives without any restrictions on capacity or aircraft type. The increased traffic growth will create opportunities for greater economic developments and growth.

Photo credits to the Ministry of Communications and Information

Enhanced Connectivity with new OSA

The agreement was signed by Senior Minister of State, Minister of Transport and Minister of Health, Dr Lam Pin Min, and Maldives’ Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Abdulla Shahid. Dr Lam said, “The signing of the OSA underscores the strong bilateral ties between Singapore and Maldives, and will enable greater movement of people and goods between the two countries to benefit both our economies.”

This enhanced connectivity of people and goods will promote business tourism and economic exchanges between Singapore and Maldives. As air connectivity is a crucial lifeline for Singapore’s economy, OSAs help to ensure Singapore’s commitment to an open and free trade and investment environment.

Keeping Our Skies Open

Singapore adopts a liberal aviation policy to further enhance its connectivity to the rest of the world. This enables businesses to extend their market reach and forge partnerships, and people to foster cultural links and personal ties that span the globe. Our open skies policy also provides greater choice and convenience for Singaporeans and visitors to Singapore.

With the signing of the Singapore-Maldives OSA agreement, Singapore has signed air services agreements with more than 140 states and territories, of which more than half are OSAs. Such partnerships reflect Singapore’s ongoing commitment to promoting a liberal bilateral and multilateral air service that will boost its status as a global air hub for both businesses and travellers.