Holiday rentals news - BA drops Gatwick-Malta route, while Air Malta increases capacity

BA drops Gatwick-Malta route, while Air Malta increases capacity

British Airways (BA) has dropped its service from Gatwick to Malta. However, Air Malta has said that it will increase its service to the island on the same route.

Air Malta's decision is good news for owners of holiday villas in Malta, increasing accessibility from London for guests. BA will drop the same route from October 25, reports The Times of Malta.

Instead of its daily service from Gatwick, from October Air Malta will operate nine flights per week. The frequency will be increased during the Christmas period.

Air Malta has also said that the number of flights will be increased further during summer 2010, with 14 flights operating per week instead of the usual 12. The airline is committed to supporting Malta's tourism industry: "These decisions are Air Malta's first steps to ensure that Malta has sustainable seat capacity available to the London area for the next 18 months," said Brock Friesen, Air Malta's chief commercial officer.

Meanwhile, BA has blamed its decision to cut its route to Malta on one of "the harshest trading environments of our history". The airline's Mark Moscardini, commercial manager for Italy and Malta, said: "We will only operate routes if they are profitable for the business. The suspension of the Malta to London Gatwick route is part of a company-wide review of routes."

Customers who had booked to travel with BA to Malta after October 25 should contact the airline to obtain a refund. BA has suspended its operations to Malta before - the route was axed in the late 1980s and BA, again due to costs.

This story was brought to you by holidaylettings.co.uk, the UK's No.1 for holiday homes worldwide.

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