Malta International Airport today welcomed Qatar Airways to its growing network, celebrating the important occasion with the traditional water cannon salute and a cake-cutting ceremony.

The inaugural Qatar Airways flight from Doha marked the launch of a daily operation for summer as part of Malta International Airport’s new schedule for the season, which features 127 routes. The flag carrier will also be extending this service into the winter months, during which it will be operating four weekly flights.

“We are delighted to welcome this flag carrier to our airline family and to grow our route network further with the addition of Doha. The convenient flight schedule which will be operated by Qatar Airways throughout the year, will certainly strengthen our connections to the rest of the world and allow tourists from new markets outside Europe to discover Malta’s rich history, unique traditions, and spectacular underwater world,” said Malta International Airport CEO Alan Borg.

Minister for Tourism Konrad Mizzi said that the introduction of this route complements government’s vision for tourism as it will provide better market diversification and increased connectivity for Malta.

Malta Tourism Authority Executive Chairman Gavin Gulia welcomed the introduction of the daily scheduled service by Qatar Airways, highlighting that: “This new airline will continue to enhance connectivity to Malta and strengthen our country’s potential to achieve further growth from the Gulf, South East Asia and Australia in line with the MTA’s diversification strategy.”

Operating from its hub Hamad International Airport, Qatar Airways flies to over 160 destinations across six continents, of which more than 80 are in Asia and the Pacific, the Americas, and Africa. In fact, besides being a point-to-point connection to the capital of Qatar, the new flight to Doha is envisaged to serve as a convenient bridge to popular long-haul destinations such as Bali, Singapore, Los Angeles, and Seychelles.