Students at St Thomas More College recently flew aboard an Air Malta Airbus A320-212 aircraft chartered by the college.

The three one-and-a-half-hour flights flew over parts of the Mediterranean including Sicily, Reggio and Stromboli, ending with a low level flight over Malta.

The initiative to organise the flights was discussed in the college’s Council of Head Teachers meeting under the direction of college principal Josephine Mifsud.

The main reason behind this initiative was the belief that it would contribute to the students’ holistic education. This was the first air travel experience for the majority of the students.

On one of the three flights, the students were accompanied by the Education Quality and Standards director general Grace Grima, who commented positively on the curricular value of such educational excursions.

The flights were followed by classroom and individual projects motivated by the students’ in-flight experiences. These were intended to further contribute to the educational value of this college initiative.

The excursion was open to pupils from Year 3 up to Form 5. The students went through the normal check-in, security and boarding procedures that have to be followed by air passengers everywhere. During each of the flights, all students took turns to go into the pilot’s cockpit.

The captain answered all the questions put to him by the students.

Midway through the flights, the students were treated to a snack and a drink, and on their return to Malta International Airport they were each given a small memento, courtesy of Air Malta.