Concerns have been raised following revelations that the UK Department for Transport (DfT) spent over £41,000 on trips to the Maldives last year to conduct aviation security research.
Critics have described the expenditure of taxpayer money on travel to the Maldives—a premier luxury destination—as extraordinary.
They have called on the British government to prove that these were not merely wasteful expensive trips.
In response, the Department for Transport said that such travel is sometimes mandatory to ensure aviation security and safety standards.
While the Maldives is a popular holiday destination, the UK Foreign Office travel advisory warns of a potential terrorism threat in the country.
The advisory notes a risk of terrorist attacks, stating that such incidents could occur anywhere, including locations frequented by foreign nationals.
Details of the UK Department for Transport's trips to the Maldives:
- January 2025: Three officials visited the Maldives to inspect port security, costing £8,830.57.
- Three officials spent £7,426.97 on a trip to conduct an airport security assessment.
- May 2025: Three officials traveled to verify if recommendations from the initial airport security assessment had been implemented, costing £3,260.35.
- August 2025: A trip involving one official and two trainers cost £15,089.39.
- November 2025: Two officials traveled to inspect airport security at a cost of £6,243.94.
UK Shadow Transport Minister Greg Smith described the expenditure of nearly £41,000 on trips to the Maldives in 2025 as highly unusual, questioning whether these visits were strictly necessary.
Transport Minister Simon Lightwood said that when planning these activities, officials considered whether they could be conducted online or integrated with other official travel. He noted that while some preparatory and follow-up work was handled remotely, physical presence was required to observe operational security at airports, making it impossible to complete the task entirely online.
Callum McGoldrick of the TaxPayers' Alliance said the public would want to know why more than £40,000 was spent sending officials to the Maldives five times in a single year. He acknowledged that security work may require overseas travel but insisted that the government must demonstrate efforts to minimize costs for repeated visits to the same destination.
A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said that these visits to the Maldives—a key UK security partner in the Indo-Pacific—are part of vital international efforts to ensure the safety of flights bound for the UK. The spokesperson added that while much of the work is done remotely, physical inspections of airports and ports are necessary to assess security standards effectively.
Department experts regularly monitor security at foreign airports identified as "high risk" and provide training to address vulnerabilities in those locations.
