The Gozo Tourism Association welcomes the announcement by Tourism Minister Ian Borg, that starting next June, Malta will enjoy direct flights from New York.
Starting in summer 2026, Delta Air Lines, confirmed it will operate an initial schedule of three weekly flights with a Boeing 767-300, between June and October.
The Tourism Minister said that this service will provide Malta with the long-awaited breakthrough into the North American market, including the United States of America and Canada, while further consolidating Malta-USA cultural, economic and people-to-people cooperation.
As part of its wider strategy, the Malta Tourism Authority will be investing additional funding to support the benefits of this direct transatlantic flight, and other similar opportunities, by re-allocating budgets previously earmarked for sponsorship of music events in summer, to the promotion of culture tourism and its various streams – including religious tourism, heritage tourism, military tourism, art tourism, and culinary tourism, among other areas, Minister Borg said.
The GTA said that “this milestone marks a significant step forward in enhancing the Maltese Islands’ global connectivity. The introduction of three weekly direct flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Malta International Airport will address a long-standing strategic gap in air links to North America.”
It noted that in recent years, Malta has seen substantial growth in tourist arrivals from both the United States and Canada. This new direct route is expected to further boost these numbers, while also serving as a valuable connection for Maltese communities in North America and in Malta.
Establishing a direct air link with North America “aligns perfectly” with the Malta Tourism Strategy 2030 and Envision 2050, both of which emphasise the development of quality tourism, said the Association.
The Gozo Tourism Association concluded by extending its sincere gratitude to all those who contributed to making this achievement possible, including the Ministry for Tourism, the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), Malta International Airport (MIA), and the dedicated MTA team.
File photo