First 'no frills' airline arrives

The first low cost airline, Snowflake, a subsidiary of Scandinavian Airlines SAS, yesterday morning landed at Malta International Airport from Stockholm, fulfilling the government's promise of the arrival of no frills airlines.

Snowflake is flying from/to Stockholm on Wednesdays and Saturdays and from/to Copenhagen on Saturdays.

The first flight from Copenhagen on Saturday is full and forward bookings look promising, Snowflake SAS's sales and distribution director, Carina Holst, said. She was among the 92 passengers aboard the inaugural flight and was greeted by Tourism and Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech.

Ms Holst said the requests and feedback from tour operators and the tourist industry looked encouraging.

She augured that "a wider bridge would continue to be built and visitor arrivals to Malta and vice versa increased".

Ms Holst said Snowflake's expansion was in response to the higher demand in the leisure travel markets during the summer season. A new market was being attracted - those who book their trips at low rates over the internet; those seeking short breaks and those who like to organise their own holidays.

The Malta Tourism Authority's incoming chairman, Chris Grech, said the MTA Stockholm office had been beefed up and embarked on a strong marketing campaign, which was bearing its fruit.

SMS Tourism, SMS Cargo and SMS Aviation have been appointed by SAS/Snowflake to handle flight bookings, air cargo and airport supervision.

Flights cost in the region of Lm47, excluding taxes, but fares can change depending on occupancy.

In the first 11 months of operation, 750,000 seats were booked with Snowflake and the aim was to sell a million seats in 2004.

www.flysnowflake.com