We often say that much about life revolves around perception, and it certainly holds true. Malta is known to be a vibrant and colourful island that revels in its positioning at the centre of the Mediterranean. We are known for our history, our friendliness and our colourful lifestyles and language.
Over the years, this has turned us into one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Med, and rightly so. Where else could offer so much in such a small place. People tend to come and visit in summer when the skies are clear and the seas as aquamarine and deep shades of blue. In that period, we enjoy most of our festas and fireworks. People laze on the beach and just take it all in, marvelling at our seemingly marvellous lifestyle. But like anywhere else in the world, Malta and Gozo have their caveats – it’s different when you have to live here. Nonetheless, we are known as a fun island steeped in history and culture and vibrant colours. That is one of the things that contributes to our record arrivals, year after year.
When Air Malta changed its livery, sometime ago, may said that it was too garish and that it looked a bit like a budget airline. But in actual fact, the opposite has held true, and there is proof. Heathrow Airport recently published a piece about the 10 most colourful airliner liveries that grace its London runways. Air Malta comes in at tenth. Heathrow sees a lot of planes come in from a lot of different countries. So to come in tenth spot is not bad at all. Air Malta and its management have taken a lot of flak over the past couple of years, but it is evident that a turnaround has been achieved. Air Malta was bloated, stagnant and out of touch. Yet the airline is now registering better results and carrying more passengers into Malta than ever before. Routes have been diversified, aircraft wet leased to other carries and code sharing agreements have been made with some truly mammoth players in the field. This continues to ensure that more and more people are brought here.
Many doubted that Air Malta would survive when the losses it registered were announced. The previous administration bought time and brought in CEO Peter Davies to shake the company up from top to bottom. The decisions he took were not popular, and while the jury is still out, it is clear that there has been an uptick and that Air Malta is back in business. People were definitely sceptical, even about the livery change, but it is clear that it was a good move. A livery does not count for everything as marketing of our islands also needs to be spot on. But, after losing the nostalgia of the smart, yet boring, old livery, this one seems to be a winner.
Successive governments have always been right about one thing. Air Malta is essential to our country. It links us to the rest of the world and it brings in tourists, which are a lifeblood to our economy. We should never forget that.