Around 2,000 Maltese citizens residing abroad have already applied for the subsidised Air Malta flights being offered to those entitled to vote in the May 24 MEP election, an airline spokesman confirmed.

The number is significantly higher than five years ago when 1,377 Maltese voters living abroad had flown to vote for the 2009 European Parliament elections.

The figure is expected to increase further since bookings for the €35 flights, including return, will close two days before election day on Thursday, May 22.

Five years ago, the MEP election flights cost taxpayers €442,345 as all the costs incurred by Air Malta are then refunded by the government. Nevertheless, voters coming from abroad are not obliged to cast their ballot as there is no such law in Malta which makes voting compulsory.

The arrangement is increasingly coming under fierce criticism from those arguing that taxpayers should no longer subsidise such trips every time an election is held.

However, the two major political parties have failed to agree on alternative proposals such as voting by post or at the respective Maltese embassies.

Since EU accession in 2004 there has been a steady increase in the number of overseas Maltese citizens flying over to vote.

In the 2008 general election, a total of 3,057 voters took subsidised flights to be able to cast their ballot at a cost exceeding €1 million. In the March 2013 general election this number increased to 4,891 voters.

Apart from seats on its scheduled services, Air Malta will also be operating four extra flights from Luxembourg and Brussels to cater for the large demand of Maltese working in EU institutions.

These travel arrangements are available for eligible voters, including those married to foreigners, studying, working or undergoing medical treatment abroad and their dependents.