Transport / Maldives
Island hopping by seaplane
TMA CEO A.U.M Fawzy
The Maldives has the largest seaplane operations in the world, with 328 takeoffs and landings per day. This record is set across a geographically dispered nation, where seaplanes are a fast, effective and practical alternative to speedboats. With new resorts entering their construction phase, and the main operator, TMA (Trans Maldivian Airways) partnering with US investment firm Blackstone, this number is set to increase.
Currently the four water runways see more than double the air traffic of the international airport. Twenty five years-old, TMA is the biggest transport operator in the country, with a fleet of 46 seaplanes and 847 employees.
CEO of TMA, A.U.M Fawzy, told The Business Report: “We carry around 35 percent of the tourists who arrive in the Maldives. You can’t go eight hours in a boat. And how we have structured the model is the success story of the seaplane. I make a contract with the resorts; when they sell the room, it goes with the plane. It’s a beautiful model.”
In 2011, TMA merged with Maldivian Air Taxi and in 2013 partnered with Blackstone. Mr. Fauzy said, “We saw the tourism industry was growing. We have a solid partner in Blackstone who can support us financially for expansions. We merged the companies within one year. The Maldives is supportive of foreign investment. Here things can be done in no time.”
With 60 new resorts opening, TMA will run 80 new seaplanes. As tourism grows, seaplanes will play a big role in the future.
