The pristine and unexplored south of the Maldives is now within striking distance of Malé following the launch of a new regional airport.

From today, domestic carrier Maldivian will fly direct from Malé to Kooddoo Airport in the Gaafu Alifu Atoll, in just 45 minutes.

Flights will operate twice daily.

On the 40th Anniversary of tourism to the Maldives, the new airport will dramatically open up the southern atolls, one of the most remote corners of the Indian Ocean.

Although the ever-increasing number of resorts in the Maldives are still set mainly on the northern atolls, the extreme south is reminiscent of the archipelago some fifty years ago and subsequently has some of the most dramatic and unexplored reefs in the world.

Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa, one of the Gaafu Alifu Atoll’s most glamorous new additions, will be one of the very first to benefit from the new airport.

Previously an hour’s flight and an hour’s speedboat ride from Malé, the resort is located just a short boat ride from Kooddoo, and is therefore now accessible from Malé in just over an hour, cutting overall journey times by nearly half.