Ryanair to introduce service to Bari

Low fares airline Ryanair announced today that it will launch a new service between Malta and Bari, Italy at the end of October, replacing the service to Bremen.

Chief Operating Officer Michael Cawley told a press conference that he was pleased to note that the Malta Tourism Authority expects tourist arrivals to grow by between eight and 10 percent this year, which he said, was "lovely, after years of stagnation."

This, growth, he said, was what Ryanair had promised.

He said be believed that many routes to Malta were under-served. Ryanair would be maintaining its services in winter and would not impose a new fuel surcharge, whatever the cost of fuel, he said, although he admitted, costs were harming the airline.

Mr Cawley complained about costs at MIA, saying the local airport was still among the most expensive in Europe.

He said that Ryanair expected that by next year it would be carrying 450,000 annually, and he was confident that when that number rose to 600,000 or slightly more, the airline would set up a base here.