Emirates is to launch a daily service to Malta International Airport from December 1, the Dubai-based airline announced Thursday as it celebrated 10 years of operations to Malta.

From May 2, the airline is also to launch a three-class configuration by deploying a larger aircraft, a Boeing 777-300, on the Dubai-Larnaca-Malta service.

The Malta route, Emirates' 41st destination, was launched in March 1998, with a twice weekly service. The operation was expanded to service Malta five times a week. The Boeing 777-200 offering two classes has been used on the route since May last year.

The airline currently flies to 99 cities in 62 countries from Dubai. It has 124 Maltese employees, working as pilots, pilot trainers, cabin crew and ground handling staff in sales, operations and administration.

Keith Longstaff, Emirates' senior vice-president commercial operations, was in Malta last week to host members of the travel and airfreight trade and airport authorities to a celebratory lunch at Palazzo Parisio, Naxxar.

"With more flights and the use of larger aircraft, we expect Emirates to inject even more into the Maltese economy in the months and years ahead," he said. Thanks to the new aircraft, Emirates will be offering 358 seats and 18 tonnes of cargo capacity from Malta to Dubai, via Larnaca.

Paul Fleri Soler, Emirates manager for Malta and Cyprus, whose 13-member team was praised by Mr Longstaff, said the airline had firmly positioned itself among the main scheduled carriers in Malta. Its local cargo operation is the second largest after Air Malta's.

The increased service will offer passengers and cargo customers from Malta daily access to Emirates' ever-growing network of destinations. From December, Emirates Skycargo will be handling outgoing and incoming cargo items, including perishables, daily, ensuring greater flexibility and shorter delivery times.

Mr Longstaff said Emirates was particularly pleased with the growth the Malta service had enjoyed over recent years and the airline was proud to promote Malta globally. He said the added flights would increase demand for accommodation, catering and ground handling services. He lauded Emirates' Maltese personnel, describing them as "excellent ambassadors". It was no wonder that Emirates had held 15 recruitment drives here since 1999, with more planned, he pointed out.

Asked whether a direct service to Malta was in the offing, Mr Longstaff said Emirates usually avoided servicing two terminals on the same route given the costs involved, but the Malta-Larnaca pairing had worked well to the advantage of the airline and both destinations.

Meanwhile, Emirates continues to expand its global network. Services to key cities like Los Angeles, Calicut, and Guangzhou are to kick off in the next few weeks. And as it finally takes delivery of the first A380 aircraft on order, Emirates will be able to launch services to New York, London Heathrow and Australia using the super jumbo.

That besides unveiling a low-cost airline operating from Jebel Ali airport shortly and introducing mobile phone use on board, which Mr Longstaff promised would be reasonably priced, convenient, and, most importantly, non-intrusive.

On Thursday, Mr Longstaff and Mr Fleri Soler presented the top three cargo and passenger agents with awards to recognise their Emirates sales achievements, in the presence of Tourism Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco.

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