Malta International Airport Drops Landing Fees for Winter

Malta International Airport has confirmed that for the current Winter Schedule – November 2011 to March 2012 – it will be giving a 100 per cent refund to all scheduled airlines of their landing fees with the aim to stimulate traffic during the quieter months.

The airport has witnessed a strong year with record traffic levels and this special incentive related to commercial scheduled passenger traffic is being enacted to keep the momentum over the winter schedules. “With the success registered during this summer, we see the need to invest in the shoulder/winter months by making it easier for airlines to operate to and from our airport,” said Austin Calleja, Chief Executive Officer, Malta International Airport. “All our scheduled airlines – which include Air Malta, Ryanair, easyJet, Lufthansa, Emirates, Alitalita and EgyptAir – will benefit from this initiative, and consequentially so will our tourism industry.”

Mr Calleja acknowledges the crucial role the airport plays in supporting the islands’ tourism industry, which is one of the most important revenue generators for the country and notes that this initiative will support airlines to bring additional visitors, especially on the increasingly popular city/weekend breaks during what is traditionally a difficult period of the year for local tourism operators.

“This initiative will mean that the Company will forfeit its revenue from the landing fees within this period, but it considers this as an investment aimed specifically at addressing the ever-present issue of seasonality,” he added.