Emirates recently marked its 25th anniversary of serving Malta, having commenced operations on March 30, 1998. Since then, the airline has transported nearly 1.1 million passengers on over 12,700 flights, with Dubai being the furthest east-bound route from Malta and one of the few non-European destinations available.
To commemorate this milestone, Emirates’ Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations for Europe and the Russian Federation, Thierry Aucoc, and the airline’s Country Manager, Paul Fleri Soler, hosted a conference attended by Maltese government officials and industry leaders, highlighting the carrier’s most noteworthy achievements and contributions to Malta’s travel and tourism sector.
“When Emirates launched its first flight to Malta, it had just over 40 destinations in its network. Today, we are proudly connecting Maltese travellers to more than 130 destinations across six continents, including more than 30 points in Asia and 20 points across the Americas. We also serve travellers with additional connectivity beyond our own network through our interline and codeshare agreements with 27 air carriers, including the national carrier, Air Malta.” Said Thierry Aucoc during his speech.
Emirates has been a crucial part of Malta’s tourism industry, driving inbound traffic and contributing to the local economy and community. The airline has hired over 60 Maltese nationals for various roles, including flight deck crew and its own local office.
“Evidently, our contribution to the local economy is not limited to the air connectivity of passengers, but also air transportation of cargo. 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. Emirates SkyCargo is a significant contributor to the market as one of the top two air cargo providers in Malta,” Mr Aucoc said.
Maltese travelers flying with Emirates benefit from the airline’s award-winning products and world-class services, including modern wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft, the largest scheduled passenger aircraft ever to serve Malta, and Emirates’ First Class product, which is not offered by any other air carrier in the market. Additionally, over 27,000 Emirates Skywards members are registered in Malta, further expanding the offerings of the airline’s award-winning loyalty programme.
