Maltese Tourist minister hinted that in the long term future Air Malta might consider acquiring A321LRs to open up routes to NY, Toronto and Mumbai.

https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20181209/local/air-malta-eyes-new-york-toronto-mumbai-services-using-extended-range.696290

I guess another long and thin route that would be not viable if you were utilising a widebody.

MLA-YYZ 4137nm. Hmmm.

Trying to pull a KEF?
Will they have the fish exports to sustain the routes, though?...

Is there actually much of a market? If the government wants to test the tourism market from the US/Canada, why not offer a subsidy to see if they can get Transatlantic service? Buying dedicated long haul aircraft for an airline with only 10 airplanes that doesn’t have a long history of profitable operations seems a bit risky. If they are going to do it, the A321LR is the right plane, but I am doubtful about the choice of routes and market

MLA-YYZ is about 800mi longer than the notorious EWR-TXL.

So unless they plan on tanking these birds to the brim, then blocking a good 3-4rows of seats; I'm not sure how they plan to make that work with an A321LR, much less turn a profit.

Have Air Malta ever flown to cities in the ME like AUH and DXB for possible transfer traffic to Northern Europe ?

Didn’t Air Malta a few years back lease a 757 and operate some summer flights to NYC? I may be loosing my mind but I sorta recall them testing the waters with TATl flights a few years back.

MalevTU134 wrote:

Trying to pull a KEF?
Will they have the fish exports to sustain the routes, though?...

Fish is pretty much dead in the Med. I think it is a cunning plan to import Icelandic fish. On the plus prices will drop and a 757 will have regular service to MLA.

Newbiepilot wrote:

Is there actually much of a market? If the government wants to test the tourism market from the US/Canada, why not offer a subsidy to see if they can get Transatlantic service? Buying dedicated long haul aircraft for an airline with only 10 airplanes that doesn’t have a long history of profitable operations seems a bit risky. If they are going to do it, the A321LR is the right plane, but I am doubtful about the choice of routes and market

Strangely enough there might actually be, as quoted in the article 45000 tourists come from NA to Malta. Plus there are a lot of businesses which have branches on the island.

LAX772LR wrote:

MLA-YYZ is about 800mi longer than the notorious EWR-TXL.

So unless they plan on tanking these birds to the brim, then blocking a good 3-4rows of seats; I'm not sure how they plan to make that work with an A321LR, much less turn a profit.

I wouldnt take the tech details too seriously to be honest. If I am not mistaken Air Malta is only leasing aircrafts plus they only made profit last quarter, I believe, so I would more take the quote as a will to explore those routes with a narrowbody aircraft rather than focus on the exact type of it. Maybe an XLR version would have an application in this case.

Galwayman wrote:

Have Air Malta ever flown to cities in the ME like AUH and DXB for possible transfer traffic to Northern Europe ?

There is a "kangaroo" EK daily flight MLA-LCA-DXB, dont know if there is space for more than ~300 passengers daily to DXB.

chepos wrote:

Didn’t Air Malta a few years back lease a 757 and operate some summer flights to NYC? I may be loosing my mind but I sorta recall them testing the waters with TATl flights a few years back.

You might be right...There is a comment in the article about a leased A310 20+ years ago. Not an expert in Maltese aviation but there seems to have been an attempt to have a direct connection in the 90s.

Draken21fx wrote:

Newbiepilot wrote:

Is there actually much of a market? If the government wants to test the tourism market from the US/Canada, why not offer a subsidy to see if they can get Transatlantic service? Buying dedicated long haul aircraft for an airline with only 10 airplanes that doesn’t have a long history of profitable operations seems a bit risky. If they are going to do it, the A321LR is the right plane, but I am doubtful about the choice of routes and market

Strangely enough there might actually be, as quoted in the article 45000 tourists come from NA to Malta. Plus there are a lot of businesses which have branches on the islands.

I thought the vast majority of American and Canadian tourists in Malta come on Cruise Ships.

Air Malta is really an enigma, to say the least. They were really struggling up until this year, striking staff, barebones service, worn A320's, poor experience at MLA, and finally have a turnaround plan with new planes on order and went through a network restructuring. Still, this seems more of a move to satisfy national pride. Malta is a growing tourist destination yes, however in the US and Canada it is still relatively unknown. The VFR market exists but is very small. I think at max a 3-4 weekly summer service could work to JFK and YYZ, timed to connections like PMO, ATH, and TLV. Then again the pax experience at MLA is not set up for such a type of operation.

Draken21fx wrote:

Not an expert in Maltese aviation but there seems to have been an attempt to have a direct connection in the 90s.

I remember being on a SQ flight SIN-CAI-MLA-AMS in the fall of 1986. I don't think that there was a codeshare on this SIN-MLA portion.

LAX772LR wrote:

MLA-YYZ is about 800mi longer than the notorious EWR-TXL.

So unless they plan on tanking these birds to the brim, then blocking a good 3-4rows of seats; I'm not sure how they plan to make that work with an A321LR, much less turn a profit.

You're letting reality get in the way. There really, really needs to be a test of basic facts and logic before reposting non-industry sources.

chepos wrote:

Didn’t Air Malta a few years back lease a 757 and operate some summer flights to NYC? I may be loosing my mind but I sorta recall them testing the waters with TATl flights a few years back.

Yes they did. They leased a 757 from ATA Airlines and operated MLA-SNN-JFK back in the summer of 2000

https://lovinmalta.com/lifestyle/nostal ... o-new-york

Not a good idea
They seem to work well in their small shorthaul market and just started a cooperation with Ryanair and starting longhaul flights would just mess things up

Leased capacity would make more sense. The distance is too long for any narrow-body plane without a tech stop. This is where something like a EuroAtlantic 767 would make sense, 3x weekly. (YU is adding capacity with 3 ex-HU B763s.) KM cannot support wide-body operations year-round at all. The A320neo, IMO, is the largest aircraft they should fly, and they have one with another one due, leased to KM by Avolon (from parent company HU's order book).

Do MLA need a new terminal and 2nd runway for KM expansion?

Apart from the already mentioned ATA 757 service on behalf of Air Malta, Balkan also flew Sofia-Malta-JFK with a 767-200 in the mid/late 90s.

Air Malta have only operated 2 widebodies, both A310’s. In 1994 they leased D-AICM this was replaced by OO-SCI. These flew Malta to Dubai/Bahrain along with flights to the usual European destinations such as Heathrow. When OO-SCI was returned the 2 A320s Air Malta already operated took over the Middle East routes and over the years AUH and KWI where also flown as part of the Dubai route before they ended in the early 00s

Amc737

chunhimlai wrote:

Do MLA need a new terminal and 2nd runway for KM expansion?

I don't think that the recent expansion as small as it is that's planned by Air Malta equates to a new terminal and a second runway being built at MLA, perhaps in the future an extension to the current terminal.

And before you get carried away with yourself as usual please don't give us your over the top six runway mega hub plan for MLA

Cunard wrote:

chunhimlai wrote:

Do MLA need a new terminal and 2nd runway for KM expansion?

I don't think that the recent expansion as small as it is that's planned by Air Malta equates to a new terminal and a second runway being built at MLA, perhaps in the future an extension to the current terminal.

MLA has two runways, why a third one?

Good call I totally overlooked the fact that MLA already has two runways

How did Mumbai come into all of this? Lots of O&D between Mumbai and Malta? I don't get it.

I don't get about what American tourists would see in Malta.

IMO the worst destination in the Mediterranean. Overcrowded, overbuilt and there are even no beaches!

chunhimlai wrote:

Do MLA need a new terminal and 2nd runway for KM expansion?

Yes. It will make a good reliever hub for Exeter.

cha747 wrote:

How did Mumbai come into all of this? Lots of O&D between Mumbai and Malta? I don't get it.

There are quite a few Indian shopkeepers on the island of Malta perhaps KM might be thinking of them

But seriously I can't honestly see KM launching Mumbai, it would be totally pointless and very low yield and the current EK service can take care of any O&D traffic that exists between Malta and Mumbai.

RyanairGuru wrote:

chunhimlai wrote:

Do MLA need a new terminal and 2nd runway for KM expansion?

Yes. It will make a good reliever hub for Exeter.

Please don't start him off as I bet he's thinking right now of how to fill in the Grand Harbour to make way for it LOL

The Air Malta 757 service years ago had a tech and gas stop at SNN , it wasn’t nonstop

Galwayman wrote:

The Air Malta 757 service years ago had a tech and gas stop at SNN , it wasn’t nonstop

Now I take it that you haven't bothered to read the entire thread because if you had done so you would have read in post 13 that SAS Viking has already stated that!

I think that it's plainly obvious that a B757 could not fly across the Atlantic non stop from Malta.

No one on this thread has stated that it was non stop the only one that has brought that up is you!

LAX772LR wrote:

MLA-YYZ is about 800mi longer than the notorious EWR-TXL.

So unless they plan on tanking these birds to the brim, then blocking a good 3-4rows of seats; I'm not sure how they plan to make that work with an A321LR, much less turn a profit.

To be fair, this is a bit of a made-up discussion. Nowhere does the original article state that they are planning such non-stop services using the A321LR. Frankly, all the article states is that they would ultimately like to fly to those destinations (as well as several others), and that they would prefer to buy the A321LR instead of widebodies. How this would reflect in actual routes flown, is not even hinted at in the article.

Whatever the tourism Minister is smoking, I would like it too. Must be good.

My first concern is that no one will fly long haul for a beach holiday in Malta.

My other concern is that a lot of the 'old' Malta is being replaced by Concrete and Glass.

Progress is essential, but Malta risks becoming just like anywhere else in the Med.

As for aviation, flying east bound they are up against TK and EK.

Is there sufficient interest from the US to make this workable 12 months of the year.

Ok a question from a semi ignorant American; besides the normal winding streets filled w those goofy shops filled w/ soccer memorabilia/kitch how is Malta unique?

More seriously, the 321 xlr will be a huge success even though Malta may not be the best place for it

Planeflyer wrote:

Ok a question from a semi ignorant American; besides the normal winding streets filled w those goofy shops filled w/ soccer memorabilia/kitch how is Malta unique?

It is an unique mix of Arabic (Maltese is an Arabic language), Italian and English culture. There are some nice spots like Old Mdina and the old streets of Valetta.

Unfortunately land speculation is something out of this world. I have never seen anything on that scale in such a small island. You can take a look on Google Maps. It is just construction everywhere. The island is also completely clogged with cars. It is like an endless traffic jam. I read here Malta is a "rock" but it is becoming a concrete block. And it is not like anywhere else in Spain, Italy, France or Greece... because at least in those places you can drive 10 miles and you are in an unbuilt area. In Malta you drive 10 miles and you are in the water.

It is also a bit of a dodgy country known to be used for off-shore companies (for instance from nearby Libya) for all kind of illegal activities within the EU. This murder brought attention to Malta a couple of years ago:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... ys-husband

With some of the oldest ruins in Europe, Malta is fascinating, it's truelly like going back in time in some places, it's a little less crowded and chaotic than other Med' islands like Majorca or Ibiza, and particularly popular with the older generations. Granted you can see most of Malta and Gozo in a few days, but I'd still recommend it for anyone who hasn't been.

Planeflyer wrote:

Ok a question from a semi ignorant American; besides the normal winding streets filled w those goofy shops filled w/ soccer memorabilia/kitch how is Malta unique?

More seriously, the 321 xlr will be a huge success even though Malta may not be the best place for it

You obviously posed it as a question because of the fact that you entered a question mark at the end of your sentence and therefore I'm assuming that you wanted someone to answer so here is one from me.

As a semi ignorant (your words not mine) US Citizen or Citizen of the USA ( I never use the term American, a Canadian or even a Mexican is an American considering that Americans are from the Americas such as the continents of North and South America ) you obviously don't appreciate history and the uniqueness because the island nation of Malta has a huge wealth of history going right back to the period of the Roman Empire long before the Americas were even discovered by western civilisations.

The Maltese are absolutely fanatical when it comes to football or soccer to you and that's why you probably saw so many ''goofy'' shops filled with soccer memorabilia!

Many millions of citizens of the United States of America visit Cancun every year and I definitely would not call that unique and I bet that the majority of those visiting Cancun never venture outside of their tacky resorts to visit the unique and historical Mayan Ruins that are only an hours drive away.

Us Europeans appreciate history and Malta for all it's downsides is absolutely packed with history and that's one of the reasons as to why some refer to the island as being rather unique.

If you want to educate yourself on the history of Malta do a search online or even visit Wikipedia

EDIT

I notice that whilst I was typing my response to your question others have done an equally good job with their ''unique'' replies!

Cunard wrote:

Galwayman wrote:

The Air Malta 757 service years ago had a tech and gas stop at SNN , it wasn’t nonstop

Now I take it that you haven't bothered to read the entire thread because if you had done so you would have read in post 13 that SAS Viking has already stated that!

I think that it's plainly obvious that a B757 could not fly across the Atlantic non stop from Malta.

No one on this thread has stated that it was non stop the only one that has brought that up is you!

And you are entitled to throw a hissy fit on this basis ?
I don’t think so

chunhimlai wrote:

Can you explain ?

ro1960 wrote:

chunhimlai wrote:

Can you explain ?

A replacement airport of current MLA with 4 runways and 100m pax capacity, connect to main island with tunnel/bridge

There is another article about this, that strangely refers to a A321S . The sentence seems contradictory, though:

"While current A321s have the capability of reaching North America without a fuel stop, new A321XLR under development would conceivably be able to easily make the journey nonstop."

The article also mentions that before starting long-haul service, KM wants to develop european routes between city pairs not including MLA like CTA-LON, CTA-VIE and CAG-LON. The goal being to become a "Mediterranean Airline" tapping into the markets left open by the collapse of Cobalt Air and Cyprus Airways.

Air Malta Exploring Service To New York, Toronto, And Mumbai

chunhimlai wrote:

A replacement airport of current MLA with 4 runways and 100m pax capacity, connect to main island with tunnel/bridge

What's the source? This seems a little overkill for Malta, no?

I mean, capacity wise, this is the perfect choice. But rangewise, they would need A321XLR with a pretty light config I supposed.

ro1960 wrote:

Can you explain ?

Dear Mr Armchair CEO, no please no
For what?

The construction of an airport on new reclaimed soil would be a little nightmare. The sea araound Malta is between 50 and 250m deep [1] in the nearest suroundings. Kansai (KIX) had a sea deep from only 20m [2] and they have teared down three near by mountains to fill up the new island. A solution that is impossible for Malta.

Air Malta has a size that is sufficient enough. They was on the edge of going bust and had received a lot of help from the state in the past. Expand and grow sould be very carfuly. Air Malta is in the first place only a feeder to bring tourists to the island and thats it. It's not a good idea to set up a longhaul hub modell for them. Malta has only a population of less then 500'00. So for what should they need an airpot in the size of 50-100 mio pax...

[1] http://map.openseamap.org/?zoom=12&lat= ... TFFFFFTTTT
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansai_In ... nstruction

Maybe the Maltese government tourism officials are just being Maltesers lol. Sorry could not resist.

chunhimlai wrote:

Do MLA need a new terminal and 2nd runway for KM expansion?

Expansion into what, bankruptcy? As for single runway think Gatwick.

Flightsimboy wrote:

Maybe the Maltese government tourism officials are just being Maltesers lol. Sorry could not resist.

Melted maltesers in a pocket maybe. Mostly that they are isolated from the real world, they don't have a robust democracy, relations between government officials are a little too friendly, and so you get these pie-in-the-sky public spending ideas that won't pan out. Malta is pretty far down the corruption index. Who are the main aircraft lessors in Malta? likely they are Maltese, along with ground services companies. Everyone would get a piece of the action. Its only a couple dollars out of each taxpayer, right?

MLA-JFK overflies BCN (0% deviation from great circle)... Air Malta being an EU carrier should have traffic rights ex-Spain right?

That's the only way I see the flight working... with a stopover in BCN.

I can see it with a stop in ORK, for multiple reasons...…the 321 needs a stop, for obvious reasons......Irish people generally like to do holidays in the Mediterranean.......more convenient(for some) than using SNN/DUB..........on the US side, yes, there is Norwegian, but it is doubly bad.......PVD isn't exactly a covenient place to connect, plus Norwegian does not have agreements with other carriers. But KM does, so it is useful for people that are not from the Northeast............There will be tickets sold on ALL legs of the trip......JFK-ORK, ORK-MLA, as well as thru pax JFK-MLA.

ro1960 wrote:

There is another article about this, that strangely refers to a A321S . The sentence seems contradictory, though:

"While current A321s have the capability of reaching North America without a fuel stop, new A321XLR under development would conceivably be able to easily make the journey nonstop."

The article also mentions that before starting long-haul service, KM wants to develop european routes between city pairs not including MLA like CTA-LON, CTA-VIE and CAG-LON. The goal being to become a "Mediterranean Airline" tapping into the markets left open by the collapse of Cobalt Air and Cyprus Airways.

Air Malta Exploring Service To New York, Toronto, And Mumbai

I don't get what Cyprus has to do with this. The markets left open by Cobalt and Cyprus Airways are all from LCA and neither of the airlines flew to Malta. They didn't have a significant "Mediterranean airline" role either.

Is there enough high-yield traffic to fill these seats? That is still a long distance to travel with so relatively few passengers. Cheap A330s seem like a better option, not that either is great. Unless the Government of Malta is going to subsidize the routes.

VCy wrote:

I don't get what Cyprus has to do with this. The markets left open by Cobalt and Cyprus Airways are all from LCA and neither of the airlines flew to Malta. They didn't have a significant "Mediterranean airline" role either.

It looks like this article has not been written by someone who understands well the subject, so I wouldn't pay too much attention to that. That said, KM could well start operation out of LCA to fill in the gap left by the two others. Nothing can legally stop them. Would it be profitable is another question.