Beond calls itself the world’s first premium leisure airline which is weird since La Compagnie exists, and there’s a veritable graveyard of failed attempts at all business class carriers like MaxJet and Eos.

The Maldives-based all business class airline has received its second leased aircraft, an Airbus A321 which will be fitted with 68 lie flat seats. It’s expected to fly between the Maldives and Milan, Dubai and Bangkok later in the year.

• They’ll be the third airline flying Bangkok to Male non-stop.
  
• Dubai means going up against Emirates which seems like an odd play since they’ll have fewer frequencies. It seems like they need a destination where they can offer greater convenience, not less convenience.

Currently the carrier flies a single 44-seat Airbus A319 from Munich and Zurich to Male via Riyadh and reports raising $38 million.

According to the airline’s CEO they plan for 32 aircraft within 5 years, serving destinations across Europe, the Mideast and Asia Pacific.

We are firmly on track to operate 32 luxurious aircraft with a private jet feel within the next five years, delivering on the promise of our ground-breaking business model in the airline industry and pioneering experience for passengers. Beond team’s decades of experience has allowed us to build the best experience in the sky.

The biggest challenge here is in growing an airline based in Male, which is highly seasonal. They may be able to fill planes November through February, and operate with enough passengers October through March. But they need somewhere else to base aircraft the rest of the year.

• They offer a premium product, and if there’s a destination for it the Maldives seems like a fit.

• But their current planes can only serve Europe one-stop. There’s some non-stop service to the Maldives from Europe already, and Mideast carriers offer one-stop service with greater frequency, with an existing customer base, and strong loyalty programs.

• Are they going to attract so many more customers who will not fly Qatar Airways or Emirates, especially while still connecting in the Mideast and with less frequent and therefore also less convenient service and with an inferior inflight product to Qatar’s business class?

Beond needs a second hub for counter-seasonal scheduling or else they’ll bleed cash badly at least half the year. And we don’t yet know of plans to move the planes somewhere else starting in April or at least May. A second hub needs to peak over the Northern summer. Maybe southern Europe?

Credit: BeOnd

Credit: BeOnd

I expect Beond to add service to Perth with an A321LR. Delhi has been in the plans, but Indian arrivals to the Maldives have been dropping in the face of a diplomatic row between the countries.