Tag Archives: Malta

Turkish Airlines and KM Malta Airlines signed a code-sharing agreement to operate joint flights, effective as of June 15 2024. The codeshare agreement will provide passengers of both flag carrier airlines more flexible travel options on direct flights between Istanbul and Malta. Within the scope of the cooperation, KM Malta Airlines will place their marketing flight numbers on Turkish Airlines flights between Istanbul – Malta and vice versa. On the codeshare agreement, Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Ekşi stated: “We are pleased that the codeshare agreement with KM Malta Airlines will re-foster cooperation between the two countries and provide seamless journeys for passengers flying from Malta and Türkiye. Not only does this partnership enable Maltese travelers to benefit from the wide network of Turkish Airlines on a global scale, but also promotes more visitors from Malta to visit our unique country, Türkiye. Likewise, Malta, the fascinating island nation of the Mediterranean, will attract more visitors. We look forwards to a successful, long-standing collaboration together.” KM Malta Airlines Executive Chairman David G. Curmi noted that: “We are very pleased to count Turkish Airlines among our codeshare partners. Istanbul is a major hub connected with Malta twice every day, offering our Maltese customers a large choice of destinations. It also allows our international customers enhanced connectivity through Malta International Airport, linking both our networks. It also shows that KM Malta Airlines is recognized by large carriers as a partner of choice.” The codeshare flights will be available for purchase through the airlines’ sales channels such as turkishairlines.com and kmmaltairlines.com websites.

Malta’s delegation at the AVIAREPS Travel Caravan included DMC’s that promote luxury and MICE travel. Middle East is an emerging market to Malta at present, but once the borders opened, there had been a surge from this market towards Malta. Speaking with Travel TV, Chris Micallef, General Manager Avon Brockdorff Services Limited, “This is a relatively a new market for us, we represent an agency Malta DMC where we specialise in MICE, Events, groups and conferences, meetings as well as luxury travel so it was nice to meet people and showcase what Malta offers in this sector and it does offer quite a lot in this sector and value for money. A lot of people are not aware of the many offerings available in Malta so basically the agents asked questions about what you can do for incentives, is there enough conference space, facilities, hotels, also what I explained was that Malta is a small country its only 27km long and you don’t spend more time there. We also spoke about cuisine which is another attraction of the destination.” Damon Camilleri Allan, Exclusively Malta, a luxury DMC in the Maltese islands shared, “It’s a privilege to be here, it’s a unique situation as we represent luxury travel as well as small group travel what that means is when we say luxury it doesn’t always mean the price tag rather the exclusivity, uniqueness and private nature of the experiences for guests. The uniqueness of our storyline is Malta is the ultimate Mediterranean experience because of our relationship with partners, artisans, farmers etc we can offer exclusivity which no one else can have which we believe our clients from this region would really …

Malta, an emerging outbound destination for GCC travellers showcased their prowess when it came to luxury hotels and travel at the AVIAREPS Travel Caravan which consisted two stopovers to meet with their GCC clientele, one in the UAE and the other in KSA. Both events were successfully concluded. TBN spoke with Brian Bartolo, Director of Sales and Marketing Radisson Resort and Spa Malta Golden Sands, reiterated, “ We are showcasing one of Malta’s five star properties located on the north side of the island it is blessed with its location, primarily it sits besides Malta’s Golden Bay beach enjoying Malta’s wonderful sunsets and it is a place that one has to visit. We have five different types of luxury suites, our best selling suites are what called the sense tower suites which sits by the water’s edge and they have just being refurbished two years ago.” Grace El Khoury, Senior Business Development Manager Middle East, Intercontinental Malta, “We are trying to extend our market in the GCC, as you know Intercontinental is part of IHG and we want to explore the GCC market in Malta. The agents mainly inquired about our room inventory, as well as the surrounding areas as well as the meeting facilities for MICE business.” Malta’s delegation consisted of luxury five star properties, luxury DMC and MICE agents and of course the tourism board who brought in the team.

Malta was one of the prominent partners at the AVIAREPS Middle East Travel Caravan with a contingent of DMCs and hotels which were more suited for the Middle Eastern travellers. The travel roadshow saw key international travel brands and destinations gather under the one roof to meet with the UAE’s and Saudi Arabia’s key outbound travel agencies and meeting and conferencing professionals, to meet one to one to develop new travel packages, itineraries and events tailored for UAE and Saudi Arabia-based travellers. Arthur Grima – Senior Manager Marketing at Malta Tourism Authority shared, “We are in the interesting period of seeing the recovery of tourism from the pandemic, in fact this year we are expecting to have around 2 million passengers from all our markets. Middle East is an emerging market for us and the type of tourists we receive are luxury travellers, interested mainly in more exclusive and boutique, private luxury type of hotels. We shared our diverse culture as various civilisations left their mark on their island, which is a significant attraction for visitors, also ours is the only language which is sematic but written in the Latin alphabet and this is very particular, its not just the language but also the gastronomy which is very varied and one can experience over 7000 years of history. Connectivity to Malta from this region is quite easy with the daily flight on Emirates to Malta. We are trying to make ourselves more known in the region.” Brian Bartolo, Director of Sales and Marketing Radisson Resort and Spa Malta Golden Sands, reiterated, “ We are showcasing one of Malta’s five star properties located on the north side of the island it …

Emirates has announced it will resume three weekly services to Malta via Larnaca, Cyprus, from 14 July 2021, further expanding its European network to 34 destinations, and offering customers worldwide more travel choices and enhanced connectivity via Dubai.  With a successful vaccination programme and an overall decrease in daily COVID-19 cases in the country, Malta has officially welcomed UAE tourists back to the Maltese Islands on 1st June. Known for its beautiful beaches and diverse archaeological sites, customers travelling from the UAE can now enjoy quarantine-free travel to one of the most exciting Mediterranean destinations. Flights to/from Malta will operate three times weekly through the airline’s existing Larnaca service on its two-class Boeing 777-300ER, offering 42 lie-flat seats in Business and 386 ergonomically designed seats in Economy class. Emirates flight EK 109 will depart Dubai (DXB) every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 0800hrs, arriving in Larnaca(LCA) at 1110hrs. The flight will leave Larnaca at 1220hrs, arriving in Malta (MLA) at 1405hrs. The return flight, EK 110 leaves Malta at 1535hrs, arriving in Larnaca at 1900hrs. The flight will leave Larnaca at 2010hrs, arriving 0105hrs arriving in Dubai the next day. Emirates customers also have seamless access to European cities via the airline’s codeshare agreement with Air Malta. As more international destinations begin easing their entry restrictions, Emirates will expand its services to provide more choice and convenience for customers who can now plan travel to more than 30 cities in 20 countries across the Emirates network that have opened their doors for tourism and business, quarantine free. Emirates will now operate over 280 weekly flights in July from Dubai to cities in Europe, the US, Middle East, Africa, and other …

Malta has now re-opened its borders for visitors of selected countries. Malta International Airport officially re-opened for commercial flights in the beginning of July to a select list of countries that are considered safe, which states that passengers coming from those countries can enter Malta without quarantine or any special permits. The list of safe-corridor countries was further extended on July 15, and the UAE has been included in the list alongside other safe countries like Japan, Netherlands, Germany, and South Korea, as well as other MENA countries like Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia. With the annulment of travel restrictions, Malta is back as a prime destination for Middle Eastern tourists with its fair weather, crystalline beaches, and Mediterranean flair. Families of the region can escape the summer heat and the post-lockdown anxiety to enjoy sightseeing in one of Europe’s most intriguing islands. The Maltese islands are home to beautiful beaches, diverse archaeological sites, world-famous diving spots, one-of-a-kind natural phenomena, delicious food, and much more. Additionally, several events are scheduled throughout the coming months for visiting enthusiasts like, the Mdina Grand Prix for classic cars, the Rolex Middle Sea Race organised by Royal Malta Yacht Club, and XTERRA Gozo Trail Run. At long last, the Maltese Islands are again ready to welcome their beloved visitors. With all the bottled-up stress from the recent months, there is no better place to unwind this summer.