Beond Airlines, the Maldives-based premium leisure carrier, has announced plans to launch flights to London Heathrow (LHR), Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG), and Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO) in late 2026. The routes, already available for booking, will operate three times weekly via Dubai World Central Airport (DWC).
Questionable Expansion Plans
This expansion comes as Beond has made a series of ambitious, and often unfulfilled, announcements about growth. In April 2025, the airline promised 18 new destinations by 2026, but has added only one seasonal route since then. The company has also teased plans for subsidiaries in the United States, India, and elsewhere, but these remain unrealized.
Operational Challenges
The routes to London, Paris, and Moscow are contingent on Beond’s current fleet of older-generation Airbus A320-family aircraft (including A319 and A321 models), which lack the range for non-stop flights. The Dubai layover introduces inefficiencies, given that Beond’s model aims to compete with major Gulf carriers serving the Maldives. The airline previously experimented with refueling in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, adding distance and logistical complexity.
Credibility Concerns
Beond’s history is marked by a disconnect between stated ambitions and actual progress. The airline’s announcements often read like fundraising pitches rather than concrete plans. For example, a proposed U.S. subsidiary partnership with New Pacific Airlines collapsed when New Pacific liquidated shortly after the deal was announced.
The Bottom Line
While Beond Airlines is operating scheduled flights, its expansion strategy remains unclear. Whether the airline will acquire new aircraft to support these routes is unknown, and the promised 18 new destinations remain distant. The announcement of three routes to London, Paris, and Moscow is a step forward, but does little to resolve the broader questions about the airline’s sustainability.
