Maltese flag-carrier Air Malta confirmed its intention to add service to New York and India with its incoming Airbus A321XLR.
Air Malta chairman Charles Mangion told ATW:
“An India connection is important if the local economy is to continue to grow.”
He also added that he wants to add service to New York to capture a growing tourist market.
This confirms a story I wrote precisely one year ago in which Malta’s Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi said:
“It is important for Air Malta to focus on the main airports in Europe, Scandinavia, Cairo and the Middle East and in three to four years’ time we should have flights to New York and Toronto.”
Air Malta will take delivery of two Airbus A321XLR in 2024, a small addition to its current fleet of 10 aircraft. It sounds like New York and Mumbai will take priority over Toronto, at least initially.
> Read More: Air Malta Exploring Service To New York, Toronto, And Mumbai
Can Air Malta Make It To 2024?
Air Malta is another troubled flag carrier. Though the carrier made a small profit this year (after years of loss), it faces fierce and intensifying competition from Malta Air, a Ryanair subsidiary with a fleet double the size of Air Malta.
There are real questions as to whether Air Malta can survive if Ryanair continues its expansion. But with the government a 100% owner, Air Malta has a powerful backer…
CONCLUSION
It is too early to tell whether the economics of a nonstop flight to New York or India make sense for Air Malta. But even talk of a nonstop route is an exciting development made possible by new aircraft like the A321XLR. Imagine potential transatlantic service from the likes of Aegean, Air Malta, and Luxair. It’s all within the realm of possibility in a much more realistic way than before.
image: Mark Harkin / Flickr
Air Malta is interesting. It’s by far one of the more odd niche carriers I’ve ever flown, and had very different experiences on both legs I flew (flying from FCO to MLA was an absolute clusterfuck and possibly the worst experience I’ve ever had on any aircraft, while flying from MLA to CDG was efficient and quite pleasant…..not sure if it was Rome being Rome, or something else….)
It’ll be interesting to see if they can make it work, and if it’ll open more US carriers to go there. Malta is amazing, and beautiful, and also quite affordable. I’d love to go back if it wasn’t such an odyssey to get there from my home airport!
I beginning to think that the 321XLR could mark the beginning of a titanic shift in Trans Atlantic flying. We may see more and more long thin routes being flown and perhaps just as happened in the US domestic transcon market the beginning of the end of wide bodies dominating that traffic.
We Indians are glad to have this news. Lots of Indian people are working in Malta. Thank you authorities.
Malta is probably my favorite country in Europe. A flight to New York would be great for the island nation.
I agree. It’s one of my favorite countries I’ve ever visited. Hands down.
No it wouldn’t the planes are cramped and the service is terrible
Great bring in a plane load of non Europeans who wont leave the island and cause more issues than we already have. As for AirMalta, they cant even organise a flight from Sicily and that’s 25 mins away. Would rather to Istanbul and catch a connection.
Make Malta Great Again!!
I can not trust for long haul flight with AirMalta.Yes its better then Ryan/budget airlines but not to compare wuth regular commercial Airlines