Summary

• BeOnd, a startup airline in the Maldives, has received a major approval from regulators, a considerable achievement on its path toward launching operations in 2023.
• Unlike other airlines, BeOnd’s unique business model focuses solely on premium travel in the leisure sector with lie-flat business class seats and a diverse route network.
• BeOnd aims to provide a complete luxury experience, including Michelin-star menus, private transfers, and home check-in, all while maintaining a strong focus on sustainability.

BeOnd, a startup airline based in Male, the capital of the Maldives, has crossed a key threshold in its path toward launching operations in the Fall of 2023. On 14 August 2023, the airline announced that it had received Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization (CAMO) approval from the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority (MCAA). The receipt of this certificate is a key step towards the airline being granted an Air Operators Certificate in the Maldives, which is required to launch commercial flights.

The carrier, which is led by Max Nilov as Chief Strategy Officer and Tero Taskila as Chief Executive Officer, was founded nine months ago in November 2022 and aims to launch operations in just one month’s time in September. With this approval granted by Maldivian authorities, the young airline has cleared a major hurdle in its trek towards beginning commercial flights.

BeOnd was launched as a joint venture between Arabesque, an investment firm based in the United Arab Emirates, and the SIMDI Group, a hospitality company based out of the Maldives. The carrier has ambitious goals and aims to provide service to over 50 destinations by 2028.

A unique business model

Unlike almost all airlines currently flying today, BeOnd’s business model will focus entirely on premium travel in the leisure sector. The airline will fly no economy class seats, operating A321 jets with only 68 lie-flat business class seats arranged in a 2-2 configuration. While premium-cabin-only airlines do exist, such as France-based La Compagnie, they almost always choose to focus on the business travel market segment, which provides more consistent traffic.

BeOnd’s business model doesn’t have any real case studies to examine, and the carrier is certainly playing in a league of its own. The airline’s route network, as advertised on its website, includes a variety of wealthy cities across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, which could provide enough premium demand to the Maldives to make the airline’s flights profitable. However, there are certainly many risks with such a business model, such as a lack of traffic in seasons that prove far less popular with affluent vacationers.

A complete experience

BeOnd seeks to provide its passengers with a complete luxury experience, far beyond the traditional service offered on legacy airlines. Furthermore, the carrier aims to provide this elevated level of service with prices comparable to those of business class on other carriers flying to the Maldives.

The airline’s service offerings consist of a Michelin-star menu, alongside premium airside services such as private airport transfers and lounge access. Furthermore, the airline will offer a home check-in service, picking passengers up directly from their residence or resort destination and driving them directly to the airport in luxury vehicles. Under this system, passengers will also be able to check their baggage directly from the comfort of their own homes.

The carrier will also maintain a strong focus on sustainability, both in its flight operations and with its menu, which has been tailor-made to ensure the lowest carbon footprint possible. Across the board, BeOnd’s service will likely come as a strong victory for environmentalists, as such a high level of premium service will likely move affluent travelers off of private jets, which are a major source of carbon emissions.