By Matthew Farrugia
Copyright maltatoday
Direct flights from Malta to New York will be available in June 2026.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Tourism Ministry said that the new service, to be operated by Delta Air Lines, is scheduled to commence in summer 2026.
Delta Air Lines has confirmed plans for an initial schedule of three weekly flights between June and October.
The ministry said that the new route will provide Malta with direct access to the North American market, including the United States and Canada, and is also expected to support cultural and economic cooperation between Malta and the US.
Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg said that this is the culmination of work that has been ongoing for over a year.
The ministry explained that the introduction of the long-haul flights from the USA is identified as a factor in Malta’s objective to further its shift towards a higher value-added tourism mix.
“Long-haul tourists from North America travelling to European destinations are universally acknowledged for their attractiveness due to their socio-economic profile. They consist primarily of high-income, culture-seeking travellers for whom Malta and Gozo present a wide range of travel opportunities.”
As part of a broader strategy, the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) will be allocating additional funds to support this direct transatlantic flight and future opportunities.
This will involve re-allocating budgets previously designated for the sponsorship of summer music events towards the promotion of cultural tourism. Specific areas of focus within cultural tourism include religious tourism, heritage tourism, military tourism, art tourism, and culinary tourism.
