KM Malta seeks more Gatwick and Brussels slots for election flights

KM Malta Airlines is seeking additional airport slots in Brussels and London Gatwick as demand surges among Maltese voters living abroad trying to return home for the general election.

The national airline confirmed to Times of Malta that it was looking into the possibility of adding more flights after several voters said they were struggling to book seats home to exercise their democratic right to vote. Some said they had called the airline more than 40 times before getting through.

“KM Malta Airlines are seeking additional airport slots in Brussels and London Gatwick to potentially be able to offer further extra flights.”

The airline said that an extra flight has been loaded for sale on May 20 from London Gatwick.

However, the Labour Party has emailed some voters living abroad announcing that extra flights from Gatwick on May 21, 22 and 24 "have been loaded for immediate sale and are available now for bookings". 

The airline told Times of Malta that extra flights have been added for return journeys to Brussels on June 1 and 2, and extra return flights to London Gatwick on May 31, June 1 and June 2. 

Again, the PL had further information that the airline did not divulge through its official channels. 

A separate email sent by the PL to some Maltese voters living abroad stated that extra Brussels flights had been added on May 21, 22 and 25.

KM Malta Airlines has been asked to clarify whether those are the same extra flights already announced or whether further flights have been added on those dates.

The airline did not confirm, despite requests, whether any of the flights were fully booked, as some voters abroad have claimed.

Instead, it noted that on the first opening day of General Election flight bookings, "there were a total 763 passengers booked in one day.”

It said the highest number of bookings came from London and Brussels.

Last week, KM Malta Airlines announced special €90 return flights for Maltese voters living abroad to enable them to travel to Malta to vote in the May 30 general election.

The special general election fares are available on all flights operated by KM Malta Airlines. These include Zurich, Rome, Vienna, Prague, Paris, Palermo, Munich, Milan, Malta, Malaga, Madrid, Lyon, London, Istanbul, Düsseldorf, Catania, Brussels, Berlin and Amsterdam.

Reservations can only be made through the dedicated KM Malta Airlines General Election Call Centre number +356 2141 8118 from Monday to Sunday between 8am and 8pm.

The special election fares are only open to those whose name appears on the Electoral Register published by the Electoral Commission. 

Travel will be permitted from May 20 to June 3, with the first inbound date into Malta being May 20 and the last possible inbound being May 30, the day of the election. Passengers can depart Malta any time from May 23 to June 3.

Thus far, travel will be permitted on scheduled KM Malta Airlines operated flights only and all travel must take place into and out of the same city.

However, since the announcement last week, several voters contacted Times of Malta to say they had been unable to get through. Others said flights appeared to have already been booked out, especially for the early voting weekend which happens to clash with a bank holiday in the UK.

The Nationalist Party said on Tuesday it had written to the Electoral Commission, calling on it to ensure that all citizens who work or live abroad and have the right to vote are able to exercise that right.

The party asked the commission to consider extending the arrangements made with KM Malta Airlines to other airlines, so they too could offer the same opportunity to those wishing to travel to Malta to vote.

Momentum also called for a fair and accessible booking system for voters abroad.

The Electoral Commission told Times of Malta it had received the request and that it would be “discussed over the next few days”.