The Department for Transport (DfT) has come under fire after disclosing it spent nearly £41,000 on official visits to the Maldives last year. The expenditure, which covered five separate trips, has been branded “bizarre” by campaigners and opposition politicians, who are demanding proof that the journeys were necessary for security work rather than a costly luxury excursion.
Breaking down the costs
According to figures released by the DfT, the trips took place between January and November 2025. In January, three officials conducted a port security survey at a cost of £8,830.57. Early in the year, another three officials carried out an airport security assessment, costing £7,426.97. A May visit saw three officials verify corrective actions from the earlier airport assessment, with a total bill of £3,260.35. In August, one official and two external training providers travelled to the Maldives, incurring costs of £15,089.39. Finally, in November, two officials assessed airport security at a cost of £6,243.94.
Political backlash
Shadow transport minister Greg Smith criticised the spending, stating: “It is bizarre that the Department for Transport spent nearly £41,000 on travel to the Maldives in 2025. The reasons for these visits seem tenuous, to say the least.” Smith called on the Government to provide clear justification for the repeated trips to the Indian Ocean nation, which is known primarily as a luxury tourism destination.
Government defends visits
Transport minister Simon Lightwood defended the expenditure, explaining that in-person assessments were necessary for aviation security. He said: “As part of the planning process, consideration was given to whether the engagement could be conducted remotely or combined with other official travel. While some preparatory and follow-up activity was undertaken virtually, aspects of the engagement required on-site delivery at the airport and therefore could not be fully conducted remotely.”
A DfT spokesperson added: “These visits to Maldives – one of the Government's key security partners in the Indo-Pacific – are part of essential international security work to help keep flights travelling to the UK safe from terrorism. While much of this work is carried out remotely, assessments of the security of live airports and ports simply must be done on the ground.” The spokesperson noted that DfT experts assess security arrangements at overseas airports identified as “higher risk” and provide training when weaknesses are identified.
Campaigners demand transparency
Callum McGoldrick of the Taxpayers' Alliance expressed concern over the lack of transparency. He said: “Taxpayers will want to know why more than £40,000 was spent sending officials to the Maldives five times in a single year. Security work may require overseas visits, but repeated trips to the same destination demand proper scrutiny and proof that costs were kept to an absolute minimum. DfT bosses must publish the results of this work and show taxpayers they received more than an expensive island-hopping exercise.”
The Foreign Office travel advice for the Maldives warns of a potential terrorist threat, stating: “Terrorist attacks in the Maldives cannot be ruled out. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreign nationals.” This advisory underscores the security concerns that the DfT says prompted the visits.
Campaigners are now calling on the DfT to release detailed reports on the outcomes of the trips, including any security improvements made as a result, to justify the substantial expenditure of public funds.
