New airline offers Lm5 fare to London

Tour operator Bargain Holidays has launched Britishjet.com Ltd, a low-cost airline operating between Malta and the UK from May, making it possible for Maltese to fly out for as little as Lm5, excluding taxes.

On its website yesterday, flights to the UK were going for as little as Lm5, but prices change on a daily basis, depending on demand and availability. The earlier tickets are purchased the cheaper they can be.

Whatever the case, the cost of Britishjet.com flights is more competitive than any other airline, Bargain Holidays' director Nathaniel Borg said. Moreover, the airline is not limiting its special offers to passenger fares but extending the reductions to cargo, he said.

Britishjet.com will be flying daily to London Gatwick, four times a week to Manchester and once a week to East Midlands, Birmingham, Leeds Bradford and other UK airports.

With the introduction of Britishjet.com, flight capacity on the UK-Malta route is being increased by 70,000 seats, 60,000 of which would be sold to British tourists and the rest to the Maltese.

Speaking about the effect of the low-cost airline on incoming tourism, Mr Borg said it would enhance Malta's most vital industry. "The venture is not only offering Maltese the opportunity to fly at cheaper rates but will significantly increase the number of British tourists visiting the islands."

Britishjet.com replaces the chartered flights that Bargain Holidays used to operate and is increasing capacity due to the introduction of more flights - twice a day as opposed to once in summer.

Britishjet.com has already been approached by several tour operators to fly for them, Mr Borg said.

A British-registered company, Britishjet.com operates a Boeing MD 90-30, which has 167 leather seats. It is currently in negotiations to add a second aircraft to the fleet in July, which would be flying to several other destinations both from Malta and the UK, Mr Borg said.

While flight costs would be reduced, high-quality service would be maintained, with passengers being offered a hot meal during the trip, he said.

Moreover, most of the flights were during the day for the added comfort of travellers.

Bearing safety in mind, a team of engineers is being stationed at Malta International Airport to perform the necessary checks on the aircraft and equipment, Mr Borg said.

The airline is employing about 80 Maltese staff: the cabin crew will be locals, while the pilots and engineers are Swiss because they form part of the aircraft lease agreement.

An application to get the company up and running was filed two years ago. Its initial investment was of Lm20 million and more was expected to be spent in the future.

Bargain Holidays created an innovative way of travel, offering the Maltese the opportunity to visit the UK for just Lm49 as opposed to Lm180 from 2000. Maltese travel boomed, the company claimed, and it became the major tour operator to the UK in a short period of time.

Last year, the company also introduced the ticket-less system of other modern low-cost airlines in the UK, despite opposition from check-in handlers. The only snag was the night flights but that problem has been overcome with the introduction of Britishjet.com, Mr Borg said.

www.bargainholidays.com.mt