Yet more expressions of interest to operate to and from Malta by low-cost carriers is proof that our islands have an attraction and that operators see a viable market here.

It is understood that expressions of interest have come in from companies wanting to operate to and from Scandinavia as well as Spain. What companies these are, we do not yet know, but it definitely shows that our appeal might not have faltered as much as we previously thought.

This newspaper has repeatedly stated its opinion that Malta’s problem was one of accessibility and this thesis is being supported by the fact that the low-cost carriers that have started operations here have already reported extremely healthy results.

When we talk of the islands’ accessibility, we are not speaking about the actual facility of being able to come into the country. We are talking about the facility of being able to come to Malta without breaking the bank. One only has to take a stroll in city centres around the UK and look into the travel agents’ windows to see that package deals to Malta are astronomically expensive (whatever the carrier), when compared to other destinations.

Also, gone is the notion that low-cost carriers bring cheap tourists. It is simply a case of spending less to come here in order to have more to spend while here and that is what low-cost carriers do.

Their introduction has had a knock on effect to spur other mainstream carriers operating to and from Malta to rethink their strategies and put better offers out to attract more customers and that too seems to be working to the benefit of both the companies and the paying public.

This all bodes well for Malta. Not only are we seeing more passengers arrive, but it has facilitated travel from Maltese nationals who wish to go on holiday. Finally we are showing foresight. Perhaps one must understand that the country’s short-term needs must be taking care of themselves for long-term strategies to be planned out and this seems to be the case.

While not all rosy and red, the immediate future seems to be pretty much taking care of itself so government and private entities have the luxury of looking to the future. This is evident in the plans made by Malta International Airport to spend some e40 million over the next 20 years to boost both passenger and aircraft capacity handling.

This shows that the company, although criticised by low-cost carriers for its high charges, has a plan. These plans do not just materialise overnight, quite the opposite, they take years of detailed planning.

One hopes, however, that the market is not flooded by one single low-cost carrier. We need as many as possible. One is not saying that any low-cost carrier should be excluded from operating as many routes as possible, but what we are saying is that the incentives must be put out there to encourage as many carriers as possible to ply underserved routes.

We can no longer rely on core markets alone, they are far too volatile. What we need is flexibility – to be able to bend and adapt to market trends. One year we might face an influx from Italy – who knows – if new carriers (or existing ones) start operations from Spain or, for argument’s sake Warsaw, we might see a new influx from there.

The key is to remain flexible. One must never forget that low-cost carriers will do anything to keep costs down. If a route is not profitable to them – make no mistake – they will up sticks and leave as soon as their contract expires.