Unfortunately the only way to fly directly to Lourdes from Malta is on Air Malta's chartered flights. It has been this airline's long-established practice for these past years to excel in delays where Lourdes is concerned. These are normally scheduled night flights to keep costs low but having to encounter over one- to two-hour delays in both instances, departing and arriving, is unacceptable.

These delays cause hardship to all travellers, especially the elderly and the sick who are the main protagonists of such flights.

I hope Air Malta takes heed and addresses this shortcoming, which frustrates many devotees of Lourdes as their holiday starts and ends on a sour note.