Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, which is a joint venture between Wizz Air and state-owned Abu Dhabi Development Holding, has just launched a new route to the Maldives. However, it’s a significantly longer flight than you’d expect…
Continue reading: Wizz Air Abu Dhabi’s Brutal New Maldives Flight
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Is this route any longer than some of the flights to Tenerife or Azores? On another note, with this flight Wizzair unlocks sub $300 rt Europe-MLE flights via AUH/DXB.
In addition, as Lucky experienced - over night in Male is a nightmare, so only speedboat resorts worth a flight like this. And then consider how much a single night’s price in Maldives, maybe just flight normally and book one less day?
That flight path still doesn't make any sense even without ETOPs certification as the plane would have to be within 60 mins of flying time of an airport it could divert to, which would still be off the coast of India.
Not much worse than doing a US transcon or a California to Hawaii... but yeah, can definitely see why some would rather avoid.
At least with those, you are covering distance. I think you missed the point. These flights spend a lot of time, and burn a lot of fuel, to go somewhere not terribly distant. These flights are about as useful to the world as crypto mining.
Most of the flight they could easily stay about 60 minutes flying time west of the coast of India (assuming there are several suitable coastal airports), so hugging the coast looks unnecessary. Again, what a waste of fuel.
Achieving ETOPS certification requires (among other things) that each individual airplane is in compliance with the standards, the mechanics are ETOPS qualified, and the airline has a proven track record. (Brand new airline can’t be granted ETOPS approval until they’ve been operating successfully for some months with no violations or major maintenance issues.) Both airlines in this joint venture have proven track records, but maybe they still have to demonstrate some other regulatory requirement before they’re given ETOPS approval.
I'm guessing they don't have sufficient over-water equipment (life rafts, individual flotation devices, etc) to qualify for an exemption.
In such case, the FAA (were they under its authority) would restrict them to within 50nm of a shoreline. I'd imagine the relevant CAA here has a similar restriction.
I wonder whether any ETOPS certification was required for the first non-stop transatlantic flight that was made in 16 h in 1919, by John Alcock and Arthur Brown, in a twin-engine Vickers Vimy, from Newfoundland to Ireland.
As a ULCC, I'd have thought they'd be super concerned about trying to minimize fuel costs.
Surely this isn't the first time you've seen this before? I remember taking an AA flight shortly after the merger (maybe it was former US Airways metal, I forget) between PHL and SJU, and that plane definitely hugged the coast instead of taking the direct route over the Atlantic Ocean.
There are plenty of ways to visit the Maldives on a budget. Just don't stay in a resort or use private transportation. easy. Plenty of islands around the capital have cheap, quick boats and reasonably priced hotels and homestays.
Assume you aren't aware of the locals' islands such as Maafushi where you can stay at a budget.
Curious what the parameters are for flights that need ETOPS vs. those that don't.
For instance, I flew Wizz from Tel Aviv to Mykonos this summer. We were over water from a few minutes after takeoff to a few minutes before landing. Why was that allowed, but not this?
Who wants to sit 5hrs in a WizzAir plane? They have the least legspace possible.
@JP
You basically answered your own question. You were over water for ONLY a few minutes.
Yes, that definitely looks like a non-overwater equipment route where they have to stay within 50 nm of land.
Because they were within range of multiple airports nearby the whole time. ETOPS is for flying long routes overwater a long way from your nearest alternate… (almost 6 hours away from nearest alternates at times depending on acft)
ETOPS has nothing to do with being "over water" per se... there are ETOPS flights that never fly over water at all (e.g. over northern Brazil, central Africa, etc), and there are plenty of over water flights that do not involve ETOPS.
ETOPS (in operation, not referring to the mtx practices or equipment requirements) is solely a factor distance from diversion alternatives. Water has different regulations entirely.
Actual ETOPS didn't go into effect until the '80s, so no. For the USA: the first diversion distance restrictions were in place before WWII, but prior to the '30s, there wasn't much oversight in that regard.
Transition from Karachi FIR to Mumbai FIR (and vv) is only permitted at specified waypoints - in this case at TELEM southbound and PARTY northbound. There is no airway parallel to the coast which supports a non-ETOPS routing.
Even without ETOPS, there is no requirement to fly directly on the coastline. Without ETOPS you have to be able to reach the closest airport within 60 minutes with one operating engine. So you are definitely able to make some shortcuts on that route. I wonder why they didn't?
You can't just fly a random routing of your convenience - you have to follow the airways and most importantly transition between Pakistan and India STRICTLY at designated waypoints ONLY unless you want to get shot down - and that means you have to follow an airway that remains entirely within the non-ETOPS envelope that you operate within.
In this particular case, the non-ETOPS airway routing southbound would be OMAD DCT LABRI N318 LAKLU G216 ALPOR M504 TELEM Z10 BVR R458 MABTA W15 CLC DCT NOKID R457 MLE VRMM and northbound would be VRMM MLE R457 NOKID DCT UDUPU DCT MML Q12 BBB Z1 APANO G208 PARET A454 VUSET R462 MIXAM P899 ITRAX SIXIV OMAD
And who in the hell's budget allows for Maldives but also takes Wizz Air? Are they splurging on literally everything other than than the flight?
Frontier does this, too, on their flights to SJU. The routing keeps them offshore, but much closer to land than airlines with ETOPS.
ETOPS also to apply over land. Not much if any traffic over the Himalayas as an example with limited or no diversion airports within the time ratings.
And if you DO get shot down. The commander and his crew would be awarded a medal.
The government would not admit guilt or officially apologize.
The investigation would reveal that it was an act of self defense and any airliner should be aware of the Pakistan-India conflict even if the commander was expecting to see some actions.
Himalayan flying with a twinjet is a different issue because although there may be diversion airports within range, you have to be able to maintain altitude above the sector minimums on a single engine, which is not always possible with such high terrain. Additionally, the aircraft needs to be equipped with additional oxygen as the standard rapid descent procedure to FL170 is not possible in case of depressurisation.
You do realise that there are people who actually come from and live in the Maldives right? And they sometimes need to travel elsewhere for reasons ranging from employment to medical care to education? And that they like to not have to spend an arm and a leg to do so?
Do you really think the people giving you massages and serving you cocktails and making your beds are flying their business class?
No, he was over water from a few minutes after takeoff until a few minutes before landing. So, unless the flight was no more than about fifteen minutes in length, the majority of the flight was over water.
I just did this flight last week from AD to Male with two kids. Absolute nightmare. I couldn’t bear the thought of the return journey so on the way back, got to the airport in Male and bought tickets with emirates at the airport counter.
Never again…
Hi, I flew this very flight from AUH-MLE and back again. Apart from a 10 mins delay it was fine and it came in at 4:49hrs. I was perfectly happy with the flight. We went with large backpack so no extra charges. Weird that the MLE lounge with my Priority Pass is on the domestic terminal and 5-10min walk back to International terminal.
Me, Marvin. Please do let me know if you can find a £120 return flight ticket from AUH to MLE at any time of the year. I will await your reply.