Ryanair challenges Air Malta to state the facts

The war of words between Ryanair and Air Malta continued yesterday with the low-cost airline challenging the national carrier to disclose its average fare, to publish its punctuality records, lost bags and cancellation statistics and show exactly how much more expensive it is than Ryanair's average fare of €44.

Ryanair's deputy chief executive officer, Michael Cawley, said: "Air Malta has been ripping off Maltese consumers for years and it has only lowered its fares in the last two years because Ryanair has forced it to do so. We now challenge Air Malta to publish its average fare so that Maltese consumers and those travelling to Malta can know, for the first time, how much more they are paying when they travel with Air Malta.

"With Ryanair, they get the lowest fares and the best on-time service with the least amount of lost bags and the least cancellations. We are challenging Air Malta to publish and let the public know the truth about their high fares and poor service".