Following the recent announcement on 2 October 2023 about the inception of a new airline for the Maltese Islands, Air Malta said Tuesday it wished to provide clarity on the transition process for bookings on or after 31 March 2024.

A paramount aspect of this transition is the handling and management of forward bookings, given the significant implications for customers and the broader Maltese tourism and hospitality sectors. This transition, while crucial, is complex and influenced by numerous external stakeholders.

Initially, Air Malta faced challenges in promptly updating the availability of its flights scheduled on or after 31 March 2024 across its primary booking platform and third-party online reservation systems. This arose as travel partners required an extended period to manage the partial discontinuation of the global selling systems calendar as it integrates within Air Malta’s infrastructure.

Consequently, a partial closure proved unfeasible, compelling the airline to retain the entirety of its active calendar, inclusive of flights scheduled on or after 31 March 2024. The only alternative was full closure, which would have resulted in a significant impact, not just for the airline, but for the Maltese economy.

The airline regrets any transient inconvenience this might have caused to its customers. All reservations for flights on Air Malta for travel on or after 31 March 2024 will be annulled and fully refunded, and this has been communicated clearly to customers and third parties. As explained in the press conference last week, starting 1 November 2023, customers holding tickets for travel on or after 31 March 2024 can initiate their refund process.

Moving forward, Air Malta has announced that it has now closed its reservation systems for bookings intended for travel on or after 31 March 2024. Air Malta also assures its customers that it will operate all scheduled flights until 30 March 2024 and all existing tickets, along with those acquired for travel up to 30 March 2024, will retain their validity.

Flights will continue to operate as scheduled until that date. Starting 1 December 2023, customers can look forward to booking their travels with the new airline, with services commencing on 31 March 2024.