Air Malta is becoming increasingly competitive and this year’s edition of the Air Malta International Travel Exhibition (Amitex) will be a testimony of this as the company is expected to launch a winter sale at rates “you have never seen before,” said Brock Friesen, the company’s chief officer commercial.

Mr Friesen was speaking at a news conference yesterday afternoon to officially launch the Amitex fair, which will be held between 26-29 April at the Trade Fair Grounds in Naxxar.

“We remain at the forefront of the air travel industry here in Malta and over the years, Amitex has established itself as the prime travel and holiday event on the Maltese islands,” said Mr Friesen.

More than 30,000 people visited Amitex last year. It is the only travel fair that provides a showcase for the local and foreign travel industry to present services and travel options to the travelling public in Malta.

This year’s 14th edition of the fair will include 34 local and 20 foreign exhibitors.

Throughout the fair, Air Malta will be promoting its summer 2007 flight schedule, which includes no fewer than 200 flights every week to 46 scheduled destinations.

The company will also promote its latest additions to the summer schedule – Liverpool, Venice and Benghazi – as well as increased flight frequencies to Munich, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Berlin, Birmingham, Stansted and Rome.

Flyaway Tours, Air Malta’s popular all-inclusive package holiday product, will promote its latest summer 2007 brochure during the fair.

The entrance fee to the fair will be 35c and customers will get the chance to win prizes, including a number of trips and holiday packages.

Mr Friesen said outgoing travel was an essential element of Air Malta’s business mix and in this respect, Amitex was an important event in the airline calendar.

“We are committed to our home market. We remain the largest provider of travel options here in Malta and the largest carrier selling the country overseas and providing connectivity to the international passenger,” he said.

Amitex will be open between 6pm and 10pm. On Sunday, it will open between 10am and 1pm, and then between 4pm and 9pm.