Malta gains new routes and increases seat capacity

Following extensive discussion between the Malta Tourism Authority, Government and various airlines, Malta has succeeded in gaining new routes and increased seat capacity. This has been achieved both through negotiations with foreign airlines and co-operation with the national carrier, Air Malta.

Air Malta has promised the use of all 12 Aircraft in the peak months, and has increased frequency to various key airports, Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Munich, Frankfurt, Malpensa, Zurich, Moscow, Istanbul and Sofia and opening new routes to Verona, Stuttgart and Paris Charles De Gaulle. The latter increases seat capacity to France by 40%.

Other airlines have opened up no less than five new Routes and reconfirmed another three. Ryanair have already opened the route twice weekly to Trapani and will add another two flights weekly come April. Ryanair will also start operating twice weekly to Edinburgh as of March 31st and twice weekly to Bristol as of July. In addition, as of April, Easyjet will be operating a twice-weekly flight from Newcastle whilst Scandinavian carrier SAS will be flying from Stockholm also on twice-weekly basis.

The reconfirmed routes to Spain have been co-ordinated with Vueling to Madrid, three times a week as of April and Clickair to Barcelona and Valencia both twice a week, as of April and July respectively. Clickair will be operating the Valencia - Malta route previously operated by Ryanair.

Apart from Air Malta's efforts, the routes to be operated by the other airlines have increased capacity to Malta by an estimated 60,000 additional seats.