'Very well-booked' New York- Malta flight to arrive Monday morning
'Malta could eventually have new direct connections with other US and Canadian airports'
A "very well-booked" direct flight from New York to Malta is set to arrive on Monday morning.
The Delta Airlines flight from New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport should land at the Luqa airport around 8.20am.
Airport CEO Alan Borg told Times of Malta that the new direct service is a "historic milestone for our country".
"It is a significant step forward in strengthening Malta’s connectivity with a market that aligns strongly with the country’s strategy of attracting high-quality tourism," he said.
From Monday, the New York - Malta will be operating three times a week up until October, arriving in Malta on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays and returning to the Big Apple on the same day.
Speaking from New York, MTA CEO Carlo Micallef said the flights to and from Malta are "very well booked".
“Delta Airlines has told us that the route has sold very well... the fact that the flight is flying from New York and particularly JFK airport also means there are frequent connections with the rest of the USA and the American continent as a whole,” he said.
“We have been working for years to establish a direct route,” he said, adding that Delta Airlines is among the top US carriers.
MTA CEO Micallef said that the trans-Atlantic route could be a first step to more frequent and direct connections with the North American continent, including Canada.
He said Delta, as well as other airlines, will be looking at the interest generated for Malta, which could eventually lead to more frequent connections that last longer than the current June to October timetable.
Malta could eventually have new direct connections with other US and Canadian airports, he said.
“The prospects are positive; this can be a game-changer leading to more connections with North America”.
Ian Borg, then tourism minister, had announced the new direct service last September, saying the move would attract higher-spending “quality tourists”.
“The new long-haul flights to and from the US will push us forward in our objective for Malta’s continued shift towards a higher value-added tourism mix, in line with the objectives of the National Tourism Strategy 2030, and the country’s Vision 2050,” Borg said back in September.
Maltese migrants
On Sunday, Micallef reiterated that argument, saying the route will attract people who want to experience an “authentic Malta”.
The direct route is also good news for the many Maltese emigrants who live in New York, he said.
“Emigrants have been asking for a direct flight for a long time, and I know that several Maltese who moved to America have made it a point to book a ticket on the first direct flight to celebrate the new route,” he said.
MIA CEO Borg said the initial response to the direct route is encouraging, with strong seat load factors expected in the first weeks of operation, including on the inaugural flight.
"Our focus now is to work closely with industry stakeholders to sustain this momentum throughout the summer and ensure the success of this important route," he said.
The last regular direct flights between Malta and the USA were in the 1990s, following a partnership between Air Malta and Balkan Airlines, which saw flights from Sofia to New York stop in Malta.
In 2021 Lufthansa operated 12 direct charter flights between Newark (USA) and Malta to ferry cruise passengers.