Air Malta, Qantas sign 'link' agreement

Air Malta and Qantas Airways have signed a codeshare agreement that will link Malta and Australia via London Heathrow.

As from July 18, Air Malta will place its code on Qantas's daily London flights to and from Sydney and Melbourne. Ticket sales will commence in June.

The Qantas services will connect with Air Malta flights between Malta and London. Both carriers fly out of Heathrow's Terminal 4.

The agreement was signed in Sydney this week by Qantas head of sales and distribution Rob Gurney and Air Malta's chief officer of strategic planning Dominic Attard, who described the agreement as "a milestone for Air Malta".

Mr Attard said Air Malta believed that this partnership would provide both the Maltese community and the general travelling public with an excellent opportunity to connect between the main Australian gateways and Malta.

This agreement also provides an opportunity for second and third generation Maltese Australians to stop over in London before or after their journey to their ancestral home, he said.

Additional side-trips from Malta to Air Malta's many regional destinations will also be possible.

Mr Gurney said Qantas has many years' experience carrying people between Europe and Australia and it looked forward to Air Malta customers enjoying its award-winning inflight product, customer service and access to Australia's biggest domestic network.

The flights will operate as follows: KM102 Malta-London Heathrow will connect with flight QF2/KM1002 London-Sydney-Melbourne; QF434/KM1434 Melbourne-Sydney will connect with flight QF1/KM1001 Sydney-London and then KM101 London-Malta.

Through-check facilities will be available from Malta, Sydney and Melbourne meaning that passengers can collect their luggage without having to recheck it en route.

Qantas operates Boeing 747-400 aircraft and Air Malta operates new A320 and A319 Airbus aircraft into London's Heathrow airport.