Private Italian airline Volotea this afternoon started trice-weekly scheduled flights between Malta and Catania.
Its colourful Boeing 717 aircraft was given a watery welcome by fire-fighters when it landed at Malta airport for the first time
Volotea is the first of three airlines starting operations to and from Malta International Airport this year.
Low-cost Volotea operates to 70 European destinations. It was set up four years ago by Carlos Muñoz and Lázaro Ros and operates from bases in Spain, Italy, and France.
“We are delighted to welcome our first new airline this year,” said MIA CEO, Alan Borg. “Our growing family of airlines enables us to further develop our route network and secure better connectivity for the Maltese islands. The addition of Volotea enhances Malta’s offering to its second biggest tourism market, Italy.”
Minister for Tourism Edward Zammit Lewis said that the overall prospects and outlook for the tourism industry were very positive and encouraging.
Volotea will operate every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
