Air Malta kicks off bi-weekly flight service from Catania to Vienna

January 24, 2018: Air Malta recently launched its scheduled bi-weekly flight service between Catania and Vienna Airport.

According to reports, the Catania-Vienna route is paramount for Air Malta as it signals its return for intra-European flights. Besides it's an important step towards for Air Malta to evolve as a key airline of the Mediterranean Islands.

Malta's Minister of Tourism, Konrad Mizzi said: "We have launched Malta's intra-European flights between Catania and Vienna. The new service, which has been absent for a number of years, forms part of the government of Malta's growth strategy for the airline, and supports our commitment to establish us as the airline of the Mediterranean Islands. Sicily and Catania."

Charles Mangion, chairman of Air Malta said: "Sicily is an important market for us ever since we started flying to Catania since April 1981. Currently, we have a double daily flight in winter with more frequencies in summer, connecting Air Malta network to Catania. In last several years, we have increasingly invested in this market, and these flights continue to show our commitment to the Sicilian market, which has help us in developing further tourism and business opportunities in the Island."

Paul Sies, chief commercial officer of Air Malta said: "Air Malta has increased its passenger figures by 7.3 percent. Last year, we changed our commercial strategy successfully, and recent months have shown over 20 percent growth year-on-year. This has encouraged Air Malta to grow its fleet, with additional Airbus A320 aircraft, which is expected to join us soon."

"We are further aiming to increase our capacity by over 20 percent this year. Part of this additional capacity will be dedicated to Sicily, and we are confident that our development will considerably increase the number of passengers this year," said Sies.

Air Malta is not only connecting Malta and Vienna from Catania, but offers excellent connections to several destinations, including Casablanca and Tel Aviv, offering local travel agents more choice to sell to its customers and offering more passengers to reach Sicily.

Daniela Baglieri, president of Catania Airport said: "For SAC and all the territory of Eastern Sicily, the choice of Air Malta to cover the Catania-Vienna route with a bi-weekly flight is quite significant. It's because it connects Sicily to Austria with a steady connection. Air Malta and the Maltese government have affirmed their commitments in a concrete way, and are open for dialogue and partnership with Sicily through two airports of South Eastern Sicily."

The introduction of this route is an excellent opportunity for Air Malta to explore further market opportunities, and start positioning the airline as the leading carrier connecting several Mediterranean islands to important regions in Europe and across the Mediterranean.

Air Malta's strategic position in the centre of the Mediterranean offers Sicilians more connections to mainland Europe through Air Malta's international flight network through Malta.

Air Malta is expected to offer Sicilians more connectivity beyond Malta next summer, since the airline is planning to launch five times weekly early morning departure from Catania Airport, and late night arrivals.

Additionally, the airline is expected to offer connectivity to all its summer network, including Amsterdam, Bristol, Brussels, Dsseldorf, Geneva, Istanbul, Larnaca, Lisbon, London Heathrow and Gatwick, Lyon, Malaga, Marseille, Milan Linate, Moscow Sheremetyevo, Munich, Paris Orly and Charles de Gaulle, Riga, Rome Fiumicino, Venice Marco Polo, Vienna and Zurich.