Air Malta will operate five intra-European flights during the winter schedule which takes off on October 30.

Launching the schedule at Air Malta's head office yesterday, the chief officer of strategic planning, Dominic Attard, said that besides the 37 scheduled destinations to and from Malta, the airline will operate flights between Amsterdam and Brussels, Berlin and Hamburg, Lyon and Marseille, Munich and Frankfurt as well as the Catania-London direct flight introduced last year.

Other European routes would be introduced by the airline for the summer schedule with flights connecting some Italian cities, he said.

He described operating across European cities as a growth area for Air Malta which had obtained this right following Malta's accession to the EU last year.

He said Air Malta will this season continue with its fleet replacement project. Two Boeing 737-300s will leave Air Malta by the end of the year bringing the number of Boeings operated by the company down to three. "Two brand new Airbus A320 will be joining Air Malta's fleet in January and May 2006. By this time, Air Malta will have 10 new Airbus A320 or A319." Another two new Airbus A320s are expected by March 2007.

The airline would continue operating a consistent schedule with daily flights to major European cities, Mr Attard said, pointing out that Air Malta was still the main carrier offering the widest range of destinations in and out of the country.

The airline was very much associated with its importance for Malta's tourist sector but it was also fulfilling an important role by providing a service to the Maltese.

Air Malta also launched the winter edition of Flyaway Tours - the package holiday product - with a wide choice of accommodation in 22 destinations on the carrier's network.

New products being offered this winter include tickets to English Premier League matches, theatre tickets, mountain and ski packages in Italy, Bulgaria and Turkey, guided coach tours in Sicily, Germany, Morocco and Bulgaria, and trips to theme parks like Gardaland in Italy and Disneyland in Paris.