Maldivian has launched its first flight carrying Umrah pilgrims from Gan, Addu City, directly to Saudi Arabia.

The inaugural flight carrying the pilgrims from Addu to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, took off early this morning at 4:24 AM utilizing Maldivian's Airbus A330 aircraft.

A total of 110 pilgrims from Addu City alone participated in this journey. In addition, 149 pilgrims joined from Velana International Airport, bringing the total number of Umrah pilgrims on the flight to 259.

Launched under the name "Addu-Mecca", this route was initiated by the national airline, Maldivian, in collaboration with "Dhathuruveriya", an Umrah group based in Addu.

This marks the first time in the Maldives that Maldivians are traveling by air directly to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for the Umrah pilgrimage from a region outside of Malé.