Malta has welcomed its first flights from Ryanair’s new routes serving Chania (or Hania) and Cagliari, Malta International Airport (MIA) announced on Monday.

According to the airport, the routes could provide locals with a “wider choice of leisure destinations as demand for leisure travel continues to steer the industry’s recovery”.

Flights to Chania depart from MIA on Tuesdays and Saturdays throughout the summer season, making the Cretan city and its “highly rated idyllic beaches, limpid waters, and nearby islets” more accessible to travellers looking for a relaxing holiday destination, it explains.

The Cagliari route, taking off on Wednesdays and Sundays on a biweekly basis, allows travellers to visit the “ideal holiday spot for [those] who like to sample a bit of all worlds”. 

The start of these new routes comes as summer tourism in Malta continues to take off.

It’s been a stuttering start for the airport, however, which has seemingly been unable to cope with the suddenly increased processing requirements for incoming passengers.

Responding as photos circulated in local media and on social media in mid-June of chaotic scenes in the arrivals terminal, the airport acknowledged an “unacceptable” situation and called for action to be taken to remedy the situation.

On the part of Ryanair, the airline has emphasised Malta in its plans, with the airline’s Malta-serving subsidiary, Malta Air, expected to be expanded significantly by 2022, to reach a fleet size of 10.