Love is in the air on Valentine’s Day – 14,000 feet up in the air, to be precise.

Due to unexpected demand, Air Malta has added another ‘Love Plane’ to its special Valentine’s Day offer for tomorrow.

For the price of €99 per couple, lovebirds can toast their relationship on one of two Air Malta routes over the Sicilian coastline and Mt Etna.

While the golden age of aviation may be over, it seems there are more than enough couples still excited by the prospect of spending a romantic evening wining and dining on an Air Malta flight.

Guests will be served a specially prepared in-flight menu

The national carrier said all 206 seats on the first Love Plane had been snapped up in a matter of days, prompting the addition of a second flight with the same number of places available.

Those expecting sandwiches and Kinnie on the two-and-a-half hour journey will be surprised.

“Guests will be served a specially prepared in-flight menu of chicken, fish or beef that is restaurant quality,” said Janella Camilleri, Air Malta’s corporate communications executive.

And passengers need not worry about being sandwiched between sweaty strangers – the seating plan is arranged so that there will only be one couple in each row.

But could turbulence kill the mood onboard?

“It is quite early to predict the conditions, but the operating crew will take the necessary precautions to reduce or avoid the chances of that happening,” she said.

Instead of an in-flight movie, couples will be entertained by live music provided by a violinist and a guitarist. They will also receive a ‘Love Bag’ containing a gift from Classic Jewellers and further surprises.

Ms Camilleri said passengers who had booked so far spanned all ages and came from all walks of life. There were even some repeat customers who had stepped aboard Air Malta’s inaugural Love Plane last year.

Asked what couples would be able to see through the window, as the flight would take place at night, Ms Camilleri said: “If the visibility is clear they can get a good view of Malta and Sicily, and possibly even lava flows from Mt Etna.”

Such a spectacle would surely raise excitement onboard, and Ms Camilleri said the airline was hopeful that one passenger may even be moved to make a marriage proposal.

Has the airline considered that a passenger may make a more indecent proposal – that of joining the ‘mile-high club’?

“It’s a possibility,” she said with a smile.

Interested couples can book through the Air Malta sales office at Malta International Airport, or by calling 2299 9620.