VALLETTA (ITALPRESS/MNA) – After 50 years, Maltàs national airline ceased its operations and was replaced by KM Malta Airlines. Air Maltàs last flight, KM 103, took off from London Heathrow at 8.30pm on Saturday and landed, for the last time, in Malta at 12.40am on Sunday morning. KM Malta Airlines’ inaugural flight departed on Easter Sunday morning to Catania.
The new airline is operating 17 routes instead of 37, use eight planes instead of 10 as part of its plan to register a profit and will fly to Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Catania, Dusseldorf, London Heathrow and London Gatwick, Lyon, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris, Prague, Rome, Vienna and Zurich. Plans are in hand for a new service to Copenhagen but other services – Palermo, Naples, Nice, Geneva, Lisbon, and Tel Aviv have been discontinued.
The Maltese government only confirmed in October 2023 that the national airline will stop operating on 30 March.
The taxpayer will be absorbing the €356 million losses accumulated by Air Malta over the years. The decision to wind up the company came after the European Commission informed the Maltese government that there was no chance that a proposed €290 million aid package would be approved under the EU’s state aid rules.
Chairman Professor Philip von Brockdorf said: “With a firm commitment to excellence, KM Malta Airlines aims to provide exceptional service, connectivity, and a seamless travel experience for passengers.” He added: “As Air Malta concludes its operations, the airline leaves behind a remarkable legacy and a profound impact on the Maltese aviation industry.”
-photo KM Malta Airlines –
(ITALPRESS).