Air Malta launches summer schedule

With two new destinations - making the total 54 - and over 215 flights operating every week, Air Malta has reaffirmed its commitment to offer both Maltese and tourists the best connections and service to and from the Maltese Islands.

"This summer will be an exciting season for Air Malta and its customers," Joe Cappello, the airline's chief operating officer, told a press conference launching the new summer 2006 schedule which runs from today till October 28.

The two new destinations are Naples and Porto, and the services to Munich, Düsseldorf, Toulouse, Nantes, Paris, Reggio Calabria, Moscow and St Petersburg all have an increased service compared to last summer.

This summer Air Malta will start to operate a daily flight to Munich, departing Malta at 9.30 a.m.; a new service to Düsseldorf every Saturday; an additional weekly service to Nantes and Toulouse; another Saturday afternoon flight to Paris; and in the peak months of the season, flights to Moscow's Domodedevo will increase to four times a week and twice to St Petersburg.

Because Malta is now in the EU, Air Malta is expanding its intra-European network of destinations, with a new weekly service (now four times a week) on the Catania-London (Gatwick)-Catania route. Also a five times a week service between Rome-Reggio-Rome, and a twice a week Palermo-Naples-Palermo and Toulouse-Nantes service, plus a weekly Lisbon-Porto service.

Air Malta will be operating a fleet of 13 aircraft; five Airbus A319s and A320s and three Boeing 737-300s. Two of the A320 aircraft are stationed at Air Malta's UK bases of Birmingham and Bristol.

"In a couple of months we hope to go live with our in-flight entertainment system," Mr Cappello announced. "This exciting new project will improve our passengers' experience on board our flights."

A brand new Airbus A320 was delivered this month and the tenth new aircraft expected in May. Next year Air Malta will receive the last two remaining ordered aircraft - completing the fleet replacement project.

Air Malta's fleet average age will lower by 2.5 years, becoming one of the youngest fleets in Europe and throughout the world. "This new fleet will provide added comfort and improved service," the chief operating officer explained.

Mr Cappello also announced the launch of the Summer 2006 edition of Flyaway Tours, Air Malta's ever-popular, all-inclusive package holiday brochure for the Malta market. "This 64-page enhanced colour brochure is jam-packed with attractive, flexible vacations and travel opportunities at great prices," he said.

New holidays include a three-day yacht cruise from Greece to its islands from Lm169 full-board; a three-day cruise from Cyprus to Egypt and Lebanon; and a fjord tour and cruise in Sweden, also visiting Tallinn in Estonia.

City tours are also featured. They include a week-long tour of Moscow and St Petersburg from Lm359, including accommodation and guide. Weekend breaks in Abruzzo start from Lm113 full-board; and week-long trips to the theme parks Parc Astrix and Disneyland Paris, Etnaland in Sicily and the Allhallows leisure park in the UK, including luxury caravan accommodation, start at Lm35 per person (excluding air fare).

"This summer we have again worked hard to improve our product, the services we offer, as well as our operations. We remain the major aviation player in Malta, providing the necessary connectivity to a wide spread of destinations to most of the major cities in mainland Europe, a good number of regional airports, as well as covering certain key destinations in North Africa.

"This is to the obvious benefit of not only the Maltese community, but also to the thousands of tourists who visit Malta and Gozo every year. We are really the only airline committed to sustain both the incoming and the outgoing tourism industry," Mr Cappello concluded.

The summer timetable and Flyaway Tours brochure can be obtained from Air Malta sales offices or any travel agent. They will be available at this year's AMITEX fair between April 27 and 30, or online at www.airmalta.com

The Sunday Times will be publishing an AMITEX special Travel Supplement on April 23, which will also include travel features on New Zealand and South Africa. Call Reuben Busuttil on tel. 2123-0753, or e-mail: rbusuttil@timesofmalta.com to advertise. Or contact the executive editor, on 2559-4511, or e-mail: spgalea@timesofmalta.com