Skyparks Business Centre to be completed this year
Video: Paul Spiteri Lucas
Malta International Airport's targets for this year is the inauguration of the Skyparks Project and a focus on emerging markets in the east of Europe, CEO Markus Klaushofer said this afternoon.
Speaking during a visit by Finance Minister Tonio Fenech and Tourism Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco, the newly appointed CEO, who took on responsibility for the airport last Sunday, said that last year was a successful one for MIA, which registered a record 3.5 million passenger movements.
"In effect, this means an increase of 6.5 per cent over 2010, which in itself was a record year which had then registered an increase of 12.8 per cent over 2009."
He said his plans for this year were the inauguration of the Skyparks Business Centre and a focus on the marketing department to target emerging markets in the east of Europe where he saw huge potential.
Mr Klaushofer said he worked in Russia before coming to Malta and he had good contacts which he hoped he would be able to use. He also welcomed the strong relationship between the airport, the Malta Tourism Authority and the government.
Before coming to Malta, Mr Klaushofer, 38, spent three years at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport.
He served on the MIA board of directors between April 2007 and April 2009.
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Franco Farrugia
Jan 3rd, 23:25
What is the country gaining from the success of MIA?
In my humble view, as a very frequent user of the Airport, it does no longer reflect the Island's culture and history but an introduction to unhealthy gambling. Has a recent letter published in this same newspaper last week, gone unnoticed?
With the new building, Skyparks, the area around MIA has been further uglified.
I Bugeja
Jan 4th, 08:27
what should the airport do franco? shut down and we travel with a Luzzu perhaps?
CHARLES MIFSUD
Jan 4th, 09:07
The country is gaining substantially with the success of MIA. Their success means our success. The more tourists they manage to attract the better it is for our economy. Its only fair they make a return on their investment like in any other business. The more money they make means that more tourists are coming to Malta. Also from their profits the Government apart from still owning 20% of the company receives 35% tax which is used for various other projects.
Franco Farrugia
Jan 4th, 14:18
Contrary to I Bugeja's reaction (very puerile and ridiculous), I am grateful for Mr Mifsud's answer. I am glad that the country is still getting money from the success of MIA. I still maintain, however, that certain 'improvements' being made at MIA are ugly and are destroying the original architecture of the airport building. I repeat: the stress that is being made on the casino and gambling activities on the island are, IN MY VIEW, disproportionate and downright immoral, socially speaking.
Charles Vella
Jan 4th, 14:49
Franco Farrugia you remind me of the Labour's electoral promise of 1992... If we are elected in government we will demolish the new airport! ...remeber the shout? 'lussu bla bzonn, dejjem moqdijin kif konna'
!!!!! Maaaaa x biza !!!!! Niwahhax meta nisma il kellma 'labour' u dan minn habba il passat li kellna naghddu minnu habba fijhom..
Joe Grech
Jan 3rd, 20:56
Malta International Airport should never have been passed over to outsiders. This was an epic blunder committed by this administration.
C Cassar
Jan 3rd, 21:59
why not? It was a shambles before and now it's been turned into a nice modern airport by thise who have the experience of doing so. It's a very successful company and due to that fact contributes a huge amount of tax to the Maltese government.
J A
Jan 3rd, 23:36
Your use of the word 'outsiders' is ironic given that one of the main reasons for the very existence of the airport is precisely to bring outsiders to Malta. Let's face it the airport is what it is today because of the privatisation and MIA's subsequent cooperation with government and the tourism industry. In fact, this is probably one of the best handled privatisations Malta made given that the government gradually divested it's majority but still holds a 20% share and several thousand Maltese investors both big and small hold even more then that. What should never have been privatised was Maltaco...a cash cow...what should have been sold off first was Air Malta.
Raymond Sacco
Jan 4th, 07:51
@c.cassar:
or should we say a nice modern shopping mall!
tax is only a small percentage of the profit. which means we parted with a large sum of secured yearly profit in exchange for a small percentage of it! but that's the kind of common sense prevailing in today's 'modern' economy management, and we are all feeling the consequences of it!
Robert Pace Bonello
Jan 4th, 12:59
Do you seriously think we could have done better!!
Charles Micallef
Jan 3rd, 18:55
...............yet another publicity stunt!
Charles Massa
Jan 3rd, 18:33
L Airport inbena fit taxxi tal Maltin, issa l profitti qed imorru f idejn il barrani
John Schembri
Jan 3rd, 19:39
Flok ma’ toqoghod tgerger ghax ma taqbadx u tixtri ftit ishma tal-MIA u taqla' mal-“barranin”?
M’ghandniex xi nghidu bhall kullhadd trid thallas 35% taxxa fuq id-divedends (jekk ikun hemm) u l-MIA trid thallas it-taxxa fuq il-qliegh.