Paul Fleri Soler, Emirates country manager, was there from the very start of Emirates operations to Malta. He recalls the journey.  

This year Emirates is celebrating 25 years of operations in Malta. What does it mean for you and the rest of the team?

The start of the flights from Dubai to Malta on March 30, 1998, is a milestone that I will never forget. As a matter of fact, I started this fantastic journey with Emirates since the very first day of our operations back then, as a country manager.

I must say that these past 25 years have been a source of great pride and joy, as well as hard work and challenges.

The success of the route would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of my colleagues, past and present in Malta, Dubai, Cyprus and other countries, as well as our business partners for their contributions over the past years ‒ through thick and thin.

How has the route evolved throughout the years in line with the growth of Emirates airline itself?

When we launched in Malta, we had just over 40 destinations in our network. Today, we proudly connect Maltese travellers to more than 130 destinations across six continents, including more than 50 locations in Asia and the Americas.

In addition, we serve travellers with added connectivity beyond our own network through our interline and codeshare agreements with 27 air carriers, including Malta’s national carrier, Air Malta.

An Emirates flight takes off from Malta.

Since 1998, we have carried close to 1.1 million travellers on more than 12,700 flights from and to Malta. Following the pandemic hiatus, in December 2021 we resumed daily flights to Dubai, via Larnaca, and the route continues to be a popular one for people who want to visit Cyprus, the UAE or for onward travel to other destinations.

Nowadays flying to Dubai and the UAE provides endless possibilities in terms of leisure, business, accommodation, experiences.

Clearly, both Dubai and Emirates airline grew in sync to what they are today. Needless to say, Dubai provided Maltese the possibility to fly onwards to several other destinations. Some of the most popular ones included Australia, given the large Maltese community present there, as well as the Maldives, Mauritius, Thailand, China, Japan, New Zealand, Bali – just to name a few.

Flying to Dubai and the UAE is key also for the business and corporate sector. The fairs, trade and conference segment is growing and many Maltese are flying there for such purposes. Expo 2020 in Dubai was the ultimate demonstration of how Dubai has become a hub for such activities.

What role does Emirates play in the Maltese community and economy?

The Malta-Dubai flight is the furthest east route that operates from Malta, ensuring connectivity to the rest of the world. It is also one of the only flights departing from Malta to a destination outside of Europe. It is recognised that Emirates plays a vital role in terms of Malta’s connectivity, as well as the contribution it makes in terms of Malta’s inbound and outbound tourism, business as well as cargo.

Emirates plays an important role in terms of the Maltese workforce and its contribution to the local economy. We employ more than 60 Maltese nationals in a variety of roles across the Emirates Group, including cabin crew, flight deck crew, ground-handling, catering and our own local office.

The contribution of the airline to the local economy is not limited simply to the air connectivity for passengers, but also air transportation of cargo. In fact, our Emirates SkyCargo provides vital trade links to and from Malta, shipping essential commodities such as food and medical supplies as well as facilitating the shipment of imports and exports.

It is important to highlight that Emirates SkyCargo is a significant contributor to the market as one of the top two air cargo providers in Malta.

The mutual desire to enhance the cooperation in all areas of development is reflected in the bilateral ties between the UAE and Malta, which are solid and deep-rooted. The economic cooperation between the two countries is the cornerstone of such a partnership.

The Malta-Larnaca-Dubai route is operated via a Boeing 777, the largest aircraft that takes off and lands at the Malta International Airport on a scheduled flight. What are the other significant characteristics of the Emirates proposition?

Travellers using our service benefit from our award-winning products and world-class services, including operating modern, wide-bodied Boeing 777 aircraft on flights from and to the country. As you said, this is the largest scheduled passenger aircraft to serve Malta, offering travellers eight first class suites, 42 lie-flat seats in business and 310 seats in economy. Emirates is the only air carrier to offer the first class product in the local market. In total, we currently have 27,000 Emirates Skywards members in Malta, thus expanding the offerings of our award-winning loyalty programme.

What is in store for the future?

Our vision is to continue strengthening our valued partnerships with the local entities such as the Malta Tourism Authority, MIA as well as other airlines like Air Malta.  Moreover, we endeavour to further enhance our products and services in the market, while ensuring the consistent growth of our operations. We look forward with enthusiasm to the next 25 years of operations!