flying daily except Tuesdays. The carrier also has a daily 11.25am Gatwick departure (3.30pm on Tuesday), with return flights from Malta at 4.55pm to Heathrow and 2.40am to Gatwick.
“Since we launched the Malta route in 1996, we’ve had problems maximising connectivity to the BA network,” said Kenworthy. “The timings also impacted on our sales in Malta.
“Now using BA, we can provide two daily connections from most domestic UK points. A prime aim of the new summer schedule is to increase market share from the regions.”
Sabre Airways has also filed to start scheduled operations between the UK and Malta this summer. Sabre is awaiting CAA approval to fly thrice-weekly from Gatwick and weekly from Manchester from April 18, using a 189-seat B737-800.
Dale Keller, Air Malta’s head of sales and marketing northern Europe, said the new services threatened excess capacity between the UK and Malta.
“While we’re in favour of competition, we don’t welcome overcapacity,” he said. “GB Airways’ percentage growth is extraordinary – and that doesn’t account for the filing of Sabre.”
Air Malta is adding two flights a week from Manchester and one from Heathrow in summer. “It’s a realistic capacity adjustment that’s enough to accommodate projected growth,” said Keller.
The Maltese carrier will operate a total of 46 flights a week from the UK and Ireland next summer. Air Malta has also introduced a new fare structure for departures after March 26. In addition to Club and full economy, there will be four discounted fare levels with restrictions common to all.
The levels cover maximum stays of 21 days, one month, two months or three months. The minimum stay is any three nights or a Saturday night, to lure the short-break market.
“We’ve simplified the fare structure,” said Keller. “The new system gives added flexibility while in some cases, there are slight fare reductions.”
Cheap fares that were previously non-refundable are now subject to a 20% cancellation fee; tickets that were non-changeable can now be altered on payment of a £30 rebooking charge for either the outbound or inbound journey.
Air Malta’s Gatwick-Malta lead-in fare will be £176. Launch fare in the revised structure will be £191 until April 13; the peak summer fare is £221.
GB Airways’ lead-in fare of £172 includes a Saturday night stay. Connecting return flights from Manchester adds £50, from Glasgow/Belfast £60 and from Aberdeen £70.
Air Malta and GB Airways will come head to head on the Heathrow-Malta route for the first time this summer, with GB Airways adding six weekly flights to the 15 proposed by Air Malta.
GB Airways commercial director Peter Kenworthy said:”We applied for the available Heathrow evening slots as the timing fits with British Airways’ domestic connections.”
BA franchise carrier GB Airways starts its new services from Heathrow on March 26, flying daily except Tuesdays. The carrier also has a daily 11.25am Gatwick departure (3.30pm on Tuesday), with return flights from Malta at 4.55pm to Heathrow and 2.40am to Gatwick.
“Since we launched the Malta route in 1996, we’ve had problems maximising connectivity to the BA network,” said Kenworthy. “The timings also impacted on our sales in Malta.
“Now using BA, we can provide two daily connections from most domestic UK points. A prime aim of the new summer schedule is to increase market share from the regions.”
Sabre Airways has also filed to start scheduled operations between the UK and Malta this summer. Sabre is awaiting CAA approval to fly thrice-weekly from Gatwick and weekly from Manchester from April 18, using a 189-seat B737-800.
Dale Keller, Air Malta’s head of sales and marketing northern Europe, said the new services threatened excess capacity between the UK and Malta.
“While we’re in favour of competition, we don’t welcome overcapacity,” he said. “GB Airways’ percentage growth is extraordinary – and that doesn’t account for the filing of Sabre.”
Air Malta is adding two flights a week from Manchester and one from Heathrow in summer. “It’s a realistic capacity adjustment that’s enough to accommodate projected growth,” said Keller.
The Maltese carrier will operate a total of 46 flights a week from the UK and Ireland next summer. Air Malta has also introduced a new fare structure for departures after March 26. In addition to Club and full economy, there will be four discounted fare levels with restrictions common to all.
The levels cover maximum stays of 21 days, one month, two months or three months. The minimum stay is any three nights or a Saturday night, to lure the short-break market.
“We’ve simplified the fare structure,” said Keller. “The new system gives added flexibility while in some cases, there are slight fare reductions.”
Cheap fares that were previously non-refundable are now subject to a 20% cancellation fee; tickets that were non-changeable can now be altered on payment of a £30 rebooking charge for either the outbound or inbound journey.
Air Malta’s Gatwick-Malta lead-in fare will be £176. Launch fare in the revised structure will be £191 until April 13; the peak summer fare is £221.
GB Airways’ lead-in fare of £172 includes a Saturday night stay. Connecting return flights from Manchester adds £50, from Glasgow/Belfast £60 and from Aberdeen £70.