 | |||||||
| |||||||
| 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 | In Service |
|---|---|
| Boeing 767-300ER | 4 |
| Boeing 757-200ERW | 1 |
| Boeing 737-800 (Leased from Travel Service) | 1 |
Transport in China has experienced major growth and expansion in recent years. Although China's transport system comprises a vast network of transport nodes across its huge territory, the nodes tend to concentrate in the more economically developed coastal areas and inland cities along major rivers. The physical state and comprehensiveness of China's transport infrastructure tend to vary widely by geography. While remote, rural areas still largely depend on non-mechanized means of transport, urban areas boast a wide variety of modern options, including a maglev system connecting the city center of Shanghai with Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Airports, roads, and railway construction will provide a massive employment boost in China over the next decade.
Macau International Airport is an international airport in the special administrative region of Macau, situated at the eastern end of Taipa island and neighbouring waters which opened for commercial operations on 9 November 1995, during Portuguese administration of the region.
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 the two international airports of Shanghai and a significant airline hub of China. Hongqiao Airport mainly serves domestic and regional flights, although the airport also serves international flights. The airport is located near the town of Hongqiao in Changning District and Minhang District, 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 Limited is the flag carrier of the People's Republic of China and one of the "Big Three" mainland Chinese airlines. Air China's headquarters are in Shunyi District, Beijing. Air China's flight operations are based primarily at Beijing Capital International Airport. In 2017, the airline carried 102 million domestic and international passengers with an average load factor of 81%. The airline joined Star Alliance in 2007.
Sichuan Airlines Co., Ltd. is a Chinese airline based in Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, and is the largest airline in western China, operating mainly scheduled domestic and international flights out of Chengdu Shuangliu Airport, Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport and Kunming Changshui International Airport.
China Xinjiang Airlines was a Chinese airline owned by CAAC. It had its headquarters on the property of Diwopu International Airport in Urumqi. It was based in Ürümqi and had a secondary hub in Changzhou in Jiangsu province.
Hong Kong Express Airways Limited, commonly known as Hong Kong Express or HK Express, 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 Cambodia, China, Japan, South Korea, the Northern Mariana Islands, 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 Your Move.
Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport is a major air hub of Western China and one of the two international airports serving Chengdu, the capital of China's Sichuan province, the other one being Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU).
The cross-strait charters are special flights 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 but not China, South Africa, and some South American countries. However, there is no "open skies" agreement between 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.
Aedas is an architectural firm with eleven International offices founded by the Welsh architect Keith Griffiths. Aedas provides services in architecture, interior design, urban design, masterplanning and graphic design. It was established in 2002.
The Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents, also known as Taiwan Compatriot Permit, is a type of travel document issued by Government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the Republic of China nationals (ROC) who hold household registration in Taiwan. The document is issued by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS). Since the identity documents issued by the government of the Republic of China are not recognized in the PRC, the permit serves as both the main travel document and identity document for Taiwanese people in the PRC territory and is used in all occasions in lieu of the Taiwan passport.
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.
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.
Palau Pacific Airways (PPA) was a charter airline from Palau.
Media related to Mega Maldives at Wikimedia Commons