Qatar Airways Increases Flights to the Maldives to 21 Weekly in Winter Schedule

Qatar Airways intends to increase the number of its flights to the Maldives from 12 to 21 weekly starting October 25, according to travel publication "TTR Weekly". This increase comes ahead of the peak season in the Maldives, offering travelers broader scheduling options on this route.

The increase in Maldives flights forms part of the winter schedule for the 2026/2027 season, during which the carrier serves more than 170 destinations. The airline has also increased its flights to the Thai island of Phuket from 14 to 21 weekly, and its flights to London Heathrow Airport from 49 to 56 weekly.

The carrier is resuming its daily flights to Zanzibar, along with reoperating four routes to Saudi Arabia within the new winter schedule. This expansion enhances Doha airport's role as a connecting hub between Asia, Europe, and Africa, at a time when airlines are reorganizing their networks in preparation for the peak season.

The timing of these increases indicates that the carrier is building its capacity based on expectations of high winter demand, particularly on tourism routes with clear seasonality such as the Maldives and Phuket. The volume of added capacity impacts ticket prices and Doha's competitiveness compared to neighboring aviation hubs in the region. The Maldives route is among those most affected by seasonality, as demand is concentrated in the colder months when European tourists head to the islands.

What do these terms mean?

Winter schedule: A flight schedule operated by airlines from late October to late March each year. Seat capacity: The number of seats available on a specific route over a defined period. Hub: An airport used by a carrier to assemble and distribute travelers across multiple routes.