 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Founded | 23 February 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 23 December 2010 | ||||||
| Ceased operations | 2 May 2017 [1] | ||||||
| Hubs | Velana International Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 6 | ||||||
| Destinations | 30 | ||||||
| Parent company | Mega Global Air Services (Maldives) Private Limited | ||||||
| Headquarters | Malé, Maldives | ||||||
| Key people | George Weinmann (CEO) | ||||||
| Employees | 400 (2016) [2] | ||||||
| Website | megamaldivesair.com | ||||||
MEGA Maldives Airlines was a Maldivian airline based at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport. It suspended all operations on 2 May 2017. [1]
Mega Maldives was awarded an AOC on 22 December 2010, [3] and its first domestic flight was from Malé to Gan on 28 December 2010. The airline began its international operations on 21 January 2011 between Hong Kong and Gan. The airline initially operated flights between Hong Kong and Gan once every 5 days. [4] Later, the route was changed to Hong Kong and Malé, but continued the unique every 5 day pattern. The airline also began scheduled service from Malé to Shanghai on 16 July and to Beijing 22 July 2011. [5]
Frequencies increased since 2011 and the airline operated 4 to 5 flights a week to each of Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong depending on the season. The airline also served Chongqing, Chengdu, and Hangzhou, China as well as Incheon (Seoul), Korea, with seasonal services. The route from Hong Kong to Koror, Palau started in mid-December 2013 with twice-weekly frequencies.
The airline also provided technical services to other airlines at Male' Ibrahim Nasser International Airport including AOG support. The airline could also provide ground handling supervision and permit management services to other foreign airlines as well. The corporate headquarters of MEGA Maldives Airlines was located in Male', Maldives. [6]
In September 2016, MEGA Maldives announced it would cut 65 of its 400 staff as well as postponing planned new routes until further notice due to the severely decreased Chinese leisure market. [2] In the same month, the airline introduced its first Boeing 737-800 on wet-lease from Travel Service. The aircraft is part of its fleet modernization program and will be used for increased connectivity between short and medium ranged destinations, notably opening up new destinations in India and Sri Lanka. [7]
Mega Maldives suspended all remaining operations on 12 May 2017 stating restructuring measures. [1] Beforehand, it already significantly reduced its network down to only two Chinese destinations. [1]
Prior to the suspension of all operations, MEGA Maldives operated scheduled and charter flights to the following destinations: [8]
Prior to operational suspension. MEGA Maldives' fleet consisted of the following aircraft:
| Aircraft | fleet |
|---|---|
| Boeing 767-300ER | 4 |
| Boeing 757-200 | 1 |
| Boeing 737-800 (Leased from Travel Service) | 1 |
The Three Links or Three Linkages was a 1979 proposal from the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to open up postal, transportation, and trade links between mainland China and Taiwan, with the goal of unifying Mainland China and Taiwan.
Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport is one of two international airports of Shanghai, the largest city by population in China, and a significant airline hub of the country. Hongqiao Airport mainly serves domestic and regional flights, although the airport also serves selected international flights. The airport is located near the town of Hongqiao in the outskirts of Changning and Minhang districts, 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) west of downtown, and is closer to the city center than the area's primary international airport, Shanghai–Pudong.
Air China, officially Air China Limited, (中国国际航空公司) is a major Chinese airline and the flag carrier of the People's Republic of China. It is headquartered in Shunyi, Beijing. The airline offers both domestic and international flights to different destinations around China and the world.
In commercial aviation, a red-eye flight refers to a flight that departs at night and arrives the next morning, especially when the total flight time is insufficient for passengers to get a full night's sleep.
Sichuan Airlines is the largest airline in Western China, headquartered in Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
China Xinjiang Airlines was a Chinese airline owned by CAAC. It was based in Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport in Ürümqi, Xinjiang and had a secondary hub in Changzhou Benniu International Airport in Changzhou, Jiangsu province.
Hong Kong Express Airways or HK Express (HKE) is a Hong Kong–based low-cost airline fully owned by Cathay Pacific Airways. It provides scheduled air service to 27 destinations in Asia, including China, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. The airline's main hub at Hong Kong International Airport uses a fleet that consists exclusively of the Airbus A320 family. The company slogan is Gotta Go.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China is the civil aviation authority of the People's Republic of China, under the Ministry of Transport. It oversees civil aviation and investigates aviation accidents and incidents.
Velana International Airport (VIA), also known as Malé-Velana International Airport is the main international airport in the Maldives. It is located on Hulhulé Island in the southern Malé Atoll, nearby the capital island Malé. The airport is well connected with major airports around the world, mostly serving as the main gateway into the Maldives for tourists. It is managed financially and administratively by a state owned company known as Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).
A cross-strait charter is a charter flight between Taiwan and mainland China, across the Taiwan Strait. After the Chinese Civil War, no direct flights were allowed between Taiwan and mainland China; this remained the case until 2003. Passengers had to transfer in a third city, such as Hong Kong, to complete their trip.
CJSC "Aeroflot-Cargo" was a fully owned subsidiary of Aeroflot, founded in 1995. It was the second largest cargo airline in Russia, behind Volga-Dnepr subsidiary AirBridge Cargo. In June 2009, the shareholders of Russia's flagship air carrier, Aeroflot, decided to declare the company's cargo subsidiary, Aeroflot Cargo, bankrupt.
There are bilateral treaties that govern aviation rights between the United States and China, which cover both passenger services and cargo services. The United States has liberal aviation agreements with many countries and territories including an "open skies" agreement with Hong Kong since 2002, but there is no "open skies" agreement between the People's Republic of China and the US, which generally refers to an agreement that allows unrestricted flights between countries. The current US-China treaty specifies the number of flights permitted. Due to the highly regulated nature of awards for route authority between the two countries and the strict limits on number of flights, the application process is competitive. US airlines have sought to gain support from local politicians and the general public to influence the US government into awarding routes.
Chongqing Airlines is an airline based in Chongqing, China. It operates both domestic passenger services within mainland China and international passenger services to Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore.
The Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Resident is a travel document issued by the Exit and Entry Administration of the People's Republic of China. This card-size biometric document is issued to Taiwan residents for traveling to mainland China. Since 2017, Taiwan residents with this document can stay in mainland China indefinitely for any purpose, including working and studying, with no restriction imposed.
The First Chen–Chiang summit was the first of a series of what would later become the Chen-Chiang summit of cross-strait meetings. The meeting was held between the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) represented by Chen Yun-lin and Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) represented by Chiang Pin-kung. This meeting followed the 1993 Wang-Koo summit.
Tonlesap Airlines Corp. was an airline with its head office in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It was a regional carrier operating a scheduled domestic network and regional flights to neighbouring countries. Its main base was Phnom Penh International Airport.
Palau Airways Corp. was an airline based in Palau. Their head office was Room #209 in the RMTRI Building in Koror. With the Taiwan branch having been located in Shilin District, Taipei.
Jetstar Hong Kong was a planned low fare airline, based at Hong Kong International Airport. In June 2015, Hong Kong's Air Transport Licensing Authority refused Jetstar Hong Kong's application for an operating licence.
Chengdu Tianfu International Airport is one of two international airports serving Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in Southwestern China. It was planned in 2013 and opened in 2021 as Chengdu Shuangliu Airport was exceeding its designed maximum passenger capacity for years.
Palau Pacific Airways (PPA) was a charter airline from Palau.
Media related to Mega Maldives at Wikimedia Commons