Beond details first year of operations, shares plan for new AOC
Luxury airline Beond shared some details of its first year of operations as well as some of its plans for the coming months during an online media conference held on November 19, 2024.
Co-founder and CEO Tero Taskila explained that in the 12 months that Beond has been operating in the market, the airline has transported some 8,000 passengers, which represents a 55% load factor. About 60% of those tickets were sold through travel agents, while the remainder were direct bookings with the airline.
The airline executive spoke positively about the route between Milan Malpensa (MXP) and Male (MLE) via Dubai (DWC), which may see increased capacity in the near future.
He also confirmed the airline’s service to Munich (MUC) will be resumed after it was suspended during the summer months, a low tourist season in the Maldives, although there are no plans yet to make it year-round.
The segment between Zurich (ZRH) and Dubai, which Beond operates with fifth freedom rights as part of a longer route between the Swiss city and Male, is also seeing some business traffic in addition to the airline’s core leisure-oriented customer base.
“Business passengers have come to appreciate the experience and prices we offer,” Taskila explained, adding that the airline’s business case is built around offering “affordable luxury”.
Taskila also highlighted the airline’s relatively high NPS (Net Promoter Score) of 68.
He said the use of Dubai Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) is also appreciated by premium travelers because it is much less crowded than Dubai International (DXB) and fast to go through.
Taskila did not disclose the cities next to be served by the airline. However, in response to journalist questions, he did highlight Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Jeddah (JED) as two interesting markets for the airline. On previous occasions Taskila also mentioned Bangkok (BKK) as a likely candidate.
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What Taskila did confirm, though, is that Beond is applying for a second Air Operator Certificate (AOC) in 2025 in either Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
With this move, Beond aims to expand its footprint in the Middle East, not just as an origination market for its premium service flights to the Maldives or a stopover point for flights between Europe and the Indian Ocean archipelago. Taskila explained that Beond is also looking at the development of new luxury travel destinations in the region. This includes the resorts built around the NEOM project, which has its own international airport, and Al Ula, another emerging tourist destination in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Beond sees these potential markets as complementary to the current focus on the Maldivian premium leisure market.
Taskila also estimated that Beond had made a direct contribution of US$210 million to Maldivian GDP in the first 12 months of operations, a figure that he expects to increase sharply as the carrier gears up for further expansion.
While Beond’s strategic plan calls for a fleet of 27 aircraft by 2028, in the shorter term the plans appear to be more modest. In this regard, Taskila confirmed that Beond is expecting to receive four additional aircraft in 2025. However, the exact allocation of aircraft between the airline’s different prospective AOCs is not yet known.
Beond’s current fleet consists of two aircraft, a 44-seat A319 and a 68-seat A321.
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The post Beond details first year of operations, shares plan for new AOC appeared first on AeroTime.
Luxury airline Beond shared some details of its first year of operations as well as some of its…
The post Beond details first year of operations, shares plan for new AOC appeared first on AeroTime.
