Beond, pronounced “beyond”, is an airline targeting affluent holidaymakers heading to the Indian Ocean archipelago of 1,192 islands, and offers a private jet experience with fully flat beds. Speaking to the Post earlier this week, Beond CEO Tero Taskila said luxury travellers from Hong Kong and the mainland would need to wait until next year to enjoy a premium travel experience to Maldives, citing a delay in the delivery of aircraft. “Hong Kong is a very important market for us.
We are looking at Hong Kong very seriously. Unfortunately, we are not able to operate before the end of this year because the aircraft deliveries are delayed,” he said. “Hong Kong is one of those markets which we would like to see in the Beond network in 2025.
We do see a great demand out of Hong Kong with the existing carriers and also in mainland China there.” The Malé-based airline launched its service last November and currently runs services to five destinations, including Dubai in the Middle East, Munich in Germany, Zurich in Switzerland and Milan in Italy. The airline hopes to start a non-stop service to Hong Kong next year with a flying time of about 61⁄2 hours, subject to securing aircraft and government approvals.
Taskila added that the company aimed to add three to five destinations on the mainland next year depending on the progress of new aircraft deliveries and bilateral agreements with Beijing. “We are happy about the progress and we want to be part of that fabric whic.