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Today: Beond Airlines Announces Global Expansion, including the USA
Beond Airlines, which describes itself as the world’s first premium leisure airline, has announced a significant new phase of expansion with major developments in the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the Maldives. Following its newly announced partnership with New Pacific Airlines and the creation of Beond America, alongside long-term commitments to the Maldives and direct European service to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Airport, the airline is positioning itself as one of the most ambitious premium leisure carriers in global aviation, with plans to expand its fleet from just two aircraft today to 56 planes by 2030. Yet as the airline moves into larger and more competitive markets, an important question emerges: Can this business model truly sustain long-term success?
In this article:
Beond Airlines Expands into the USA
Beond Airlines, known as the world’s first premium leisure airline, is officially expanding into the U.S. market through a new strategic collaboration with New Pacific Airlines. The two companies have announced the launch of beOnd America, a partnership designed to bring Beond’s all-Business-Class travel experience to travelers throughout the United States.
Beond Airlines has built its brand around luxurious air travel, and the entry into the U.S. market as Beond America supports the company’s long-term growth strategy. According to Tero Taskila, CEO of Beond, the partnership strengthens the airline’s presence across multiple jurisdictions and enhances its ability to deliver a seamless premium product. Taskila stated that the company’s mission has always focused on making premium leisure travel effortless, emotionally rewarding, and deeply comfortable. He emphasized that New Pacific Airlines brings valuable operational depth within the United States and strengthens Beond’s overall structure for international expansion.
New Pacific Airlines views the collaboration as an opportunity to introduce a unique level of luxury to American travelers. Tom Hsieh, CEO of New Pacific Airlines, explained that the airline was founded to connect people and places that matter. He noted that the partnership with Beond allows New Pacific to elevate that mission by offering a boutique travel experience that blends comfort, design, and service excellence in a way that has not previously been available in U.S. skies. His comments highlight the shared vision of both airlines to offer something distinctive and highly curated for travelers seeking a premium journey.
The beOnd America initiative integrates Beond’s global luxury brand with New Pacific’s FAA-certified operational capabilities. New Pacific brings experience in specialized sports and government charter operations, along with established U.S. infrastructure. This combination will allow the partnership to open access to exclusive international destinations and expand the reach of premium leisure travel originating from the United States.
As part of the agreement, New Pacific Airlines will operate flights that are marketed under the Beond America brand. Both airlines aim to work closely together on customer experience, scheduling, and network development to ensure a seamless premium travel offering. The plan includes operating a fleet of eight aircraft featuring Beond’s signature all-business-class configuration. Although the exact route structure and launch timeline will depend on regulatory approvals, both companies have confirmed that operations will fully comply with all U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration requirements.
Beond Announces Major Expansion in the Maldives
In addition to its U.S. expansion, Beond has reaffirmed the Maldives as its global hub and primary strategic base. The airline has outlined ambitious growth plans that include:
- Expanding its Maldives-based fleet to 22 aircraft
- Serving more than 30 destinations by 2030
- Launching four new destinations in 2026
Tero Taskila emphasised that the Maldives will always be central to the airline’s identity. He stated that Beond is investing in new aircraft, new partnerships and new routes that will bring more premium leisure travelers to the Maldives year-round. Since launching commercial service in 2023, Beond aims to have helped grow tourism from Europe and the Middle East through its luxury-focused all-Business-Class product.
The airline currently operates flights from Zurich, Munich, Milan, Riyadh, Dubai and Male, and it plans to expand further into Europe and Asia. Proposed 2026 network additions include China, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, India, France, Italy and the United Kingdom, subject to regulatory approvals.
Beond also Expands to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea
Beond has also become the first airline to launch direct service between Europe and Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Airport. Milan is now the first European city with direct access to The Red Sea and AMAALA, two of the region’s most anticipated luxury destinations.
Tero Taskila commented that this new direct route brings together exceptional destinations and provides travelers with a more elevated way to reach the Saudi Red Sea coast. Leaders at Red Sea Global and RSI highlighted the importance of the route for Saudi Arabia’s tourism ambitions and its Vision 2030 strategy. The twice-weekly service begins on 12 November 2025, using Beond’s all-lie-flat A320-family aircraft.
The Red Sea region continues to expand rapidly, with nine luxury hotels now open and AMAALA Triple Bay beginning its phased launch, including resorts, a yacht club, a marina and marine life institute.
My Personal Experience Flying Beond
I have personally flown Beond from Zurich to the Maldives two years ago, and the onboard experience demonstrated clear strengths as well as areas for improvement (read my detailed review here). The cabin is beautifully designed, featuring leather seats, tasteful mood lighting, and a sophisticated premium aesthetic. The service was warm and attentive, and the dining experience felt genuinely elevated, with high-quality meals and thoughtful presentation. Amenities such as mattress toppers and curated amenity kits added to the sense of comfort and wellness. However, the flatbeds on the Airbus A319 were not the most comfortable for tall travelers. While the seats do convert fully flat, the bed length – around 170 cm (70 inches) – requires taller passengers to sleep with bent knees.
More importantly, Beond has developed a reputation for frequent route cancellations and inconsistent operational reliability. My own return flight was cancelled just two weeks before departure, and the options offered were inconvenient. Although the airline’s onboard product is genuinely impressive, its schedule reliability remains a major concern and travelers should take this into account when planning their trip. In response to criticism, Beond has introduced a “Free Flight Guarantee,” which promises rebooking on another airline’s business class or a full refund if a flight is cancelled. However, it is still unclear how consistently this guarantee is applied in practice and whether it is sufficient to address the airline’s broader reliability issues.
Is This Model Really Going to Work?
The biggest question surrounding Beond’s global growth is whether its all-Business-Class, premium-leisure strategy can realistically hold up as the airline scales. On paper, the concept is attractive: the focus on leisure travelers who are willing to pay for comfort, serenity and a boutique flying experience gives Beond a distinctive niche. The cabins are beautifully designed, the lie-flat seats add real value, and the Maldives-centric network creates a clear identity rooted in luxury travel. My own experience confirms that the onboard product is thoughtfully executed, with strong service, refined meals and an atmosphere that feels more intimate than a traditional business-class cabin.
Another challenge for Beond is the gap between its ambitious announcements and its current operational reality. At the moment, the airline operates only two aircraft, and although it has repeatedly outlined plans for major fleet and network growth over the past several years, much of that expansion has yet to materialize. This contrast between bold long-term projections and a very small existing fleet raises questions about how quickly — or realistically — the airline can scale. It also invites scrutiny over whether these global expansion announcements are intended primarily for travelers or whether they serve a secondary purpose of attracting investors, partners or regulatory momentum. With Beond now promoting large future fleets, new subsidiaries and dozens of planned destinations, observers may reasonably wonder how much of this vision reflects near-term execution versus strategic signalling to secure financial and operational support.
However, the model also faces significant hurdles. Operational reliability remains a weak point, and early cancellations — including the last-minute cancellation I personally experienced — highlight gaps in demand planning and consistency. The airline has introduced a “Free Flight Guarantee,” but it remains unclear how effectively this policy offsets the broader reputation for schedule instability. At the same time, competition will intensify as Beond moves into larger markets like the United States and broadens its presence in Europe and Asia. Established carriers already offer lie-flat business class with greater scale, deeper loyalty programs and stronger brand recognition.
Finally, the scale of Beond’s ambitions raises questions of feasibility. Growing to 22 Maldives-based aircraft and reaching more than 30 destinations by 2030 — alongside launching its U.S. subsidiary Beond America, expanding across Asia and adding new Red Sea routes — represents an extremely aggressive trajectory for a boutique carrier. Whether Beond can maintain product quality, manage operational complexity and build steady premium demand across multiple jurisdictions will ultimately determine if this model can succeed beyond its initial novelty.
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