Air Malta is setting its sights on extending its record passenger with the start of its winter flight schedule this week.

On the back of unprecedented passenger traffic during the summer months, the airline’s strategy sees a new focus for the winter, with 27 scheduled destinations, an increase of nine destinations over last year.

The result is a 40 per cent capacity increase covering a selection of 300 weekly departures.

Air Malta is committed to growing inbound and outbound tourism especially during the shoulder and winter periods.

The airline aims to offer a diverse selection of main city and hub airports and a high level of frequencies to and from Malta, giving passengers optimum choice and optimum value for money as well as several options to connect beyond to/from airports nor served with direct flights.

Several of the new routes launched in the last 12 months have proven to be highly successful and will subsequently be retained, including Lisbon, Cagliari, Malaga, Casablanca, and Kiev.

The fifth freedom flights between Catania and Vienna and between Catania and London Southend will also be retained.

Meanwhile, the German market, which has for many years been a mainstay to both the airline and the country’s tourism success, will be given renewed focus.

The airline will be placing a lot of new capacity and investing in the German market by adding three new destinations; the capital Berlin, Hamburg and Leipzig.

With double daily flights to Munich, five weekly to Frankfurt and a twice weekly flights to Dusseldorf, Air Malta is making sure to cover the German market with 50 weekly departures to and from six airports.