The airline was welcomed with a ceremonial water salute, along a ceremonial ribbon-cutting was held to mark the opening of the airline's check-in counters at the new terminal.
MACL
On 10 December 2025, the Maldives Airports Company Ltd (MACL) welcomed China Eastern to Terminal 1 of Velana International Airport (VIA). The airline was welcomed with a ceremonial water salute, along a ceremonial ribbon-cutting was held to mark the opening of the airline's check-in counters at the new terminal.
The ceremony held to welcome the passengers was graced by the Chinese Ambassador, His Excellency Mr Kong Xianhua, MACL's CEO & MD, Ibrahim Shareef Mohamed, senior management, China Eastern Airlines Maldives Office General Manager Li Jia, and Villa Travels Station Manager Mohamed Fayaz.
Over the years, China has become a popular destination amongst Maldivians for both leisure and higher-education, while Chinese travellers have long been the number one tourist market in the Maldives. With this, China Eastern, China's third-largest airline started connecting travellers to the Maldives in 2023, following the long travel haitus due to COVID-19.
