Summary
- Beond, a luxury airline targeting leisure travelers, has started commercial service with its first flight from Munich to the Maldives.
- The all-business-class airline operates an Airbus A319 with premium, lie-flat seats, and plans to expand its fleet and network over the next five years.
- Beond aims to redefine luxury travel, offering exclusivity and comfort to every traveler. It targets the growing luxury leisure market and has plans to connect more destinations in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.
Beond, an all-business-class luxury airline targeting leisure travelers, has started commercial service by launching its first flight from Munich to the Maldives. The airline currently operates an Airbus A319 aircraft configured in a premium layout and plans to significantly expand its fleet and network in the next five years.
Beond starts Munich-Male service
After months of planning and preparation, premium leisure airline Beond started commercial service with a flight from Munich to Male in the Maldives on November 15. The carrier held an event and an aircraft tour at Munich Airport as a way to introduce itself to the German market.
The Airbus A319 aircraft flew out of Munich on a night flight with a fuel stopover in Dubai. Beond will fly this route twice a week. Tero Taskila, CEO of Beond, commented,
“With our first revenue flight, Beond has arrived. We were delighted to welcome our first guests on board. The flight is the start of their adventure to the beautiful Maldives and represents the starting line of our vision to build Beond as a luxury travel brand. Beond seeks to redefine the skies, where luxury, comfort, and exclusivity are not just ideals, but realities experienced by every traveller.”
All-business-class cabin
Beond’s first aircraft is an Airbus A319 that can seat 44 passengers in premium, lie-flat business class seats. Taskila had revealed previously that the seats on the plane would include lavish touches such as Italian leather construction along with carbon fiber elements to make them light and reduce the overall aircraft weight.
Photo: Tom Boon | Simple Flying
Given the range of the A319, it cannot operate a non-stop service between Munich and the Maldives, so it made a fuel stop in Dubai. The airline plans to populate its fleet with other Airbus aircraft, including A321s and hopes to have around 32 planes and 60 destinations in its network over the next five years.
Targeting the luxury leisure segment
Backed by UAE-based company Arabesque and Maldivian hospitality company SIMDI, Beond calls itself “the world’s first premium leisure airline.” In August, it received Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization (CAMO) approval from the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority (MCAA), which was important to obtain an Air Operators Certificate in the Maldives.
Photo: Beond
While there have been previous attempts by carriers to start dedicated premium-only services, those have primarily catered to business travelers on routes where demand is steady. Beond has taken a different approach to target the premium leisure market. Taskila has previously said,
“Luxury leisure travel is the fastest-growing market segment. We are tapping into that one with a very specialized aircraft.”
Indeed, the Munich-Maldives route is just one of many that Beond has its eyes on. In the coming days, the airline will also connect Male with Riyadh and Zurich and is already contemplating several other destinations in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Here’s wishing the airline all the luck!
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