{"id":51429,"date":"2025-09-16T21:20:28","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T20:20:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/?p=51429"},"modified":"2025-09-17T18:31:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T17:31:16","slug":"deputy-prime-minister-announces-game-changing-malta-new-york-flights-from-june-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/16\/deputy-prime-minister-announces-game-changing-malta-new-york-flights-from-june-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Deputy Prime Minister announces game-changing Malta-New York flights from June 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><span style=\"background-color: #ffff00;\">In a groundbreaking development for Malta\u2019s tourism industry, on Tuesday evening, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ian Borg announced a new direct flight schedule between New York\u2019s John F Kennedy International Airport and Malta International Airport, starting in summer 2026 by Delta Air Lines.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The international airline confirmed it will operate an initial schedule of three weekly flights with a Boeing 767-300, between June and October. 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.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is the gamechanger that we have been working to attain for the last year. It is also an affirmation of the synergy between our tourism and aviation authorities, the Malta International Airport, and the Foreign Ministry, including crucial talks during my high-level meetings in Washington earlier this month,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe new long-haul flights to and from the USA will push us forward in our objective for Malta\u2019s continued shift towards a higher value-added tourism mix, in line with the objectives of the National Tourism Strategy 2030, and the country\u2019s Vision 2050,\u201d Dr Borg added.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>The United States and Canadian tourism markets to Malta have witnessed strong expansion in recent years, following a wider range of connectivity possibilities via the commencement of new services by airlines, together with an enhanced marketing plan for North America by MTA\u2019s representatives in New York.<\/p>\n<p>Malta\u2019s stronger presence in the North American market, as indicated by this milestone announcement by Delta Air Lines, is tangible proof of the tourism authorities\u2019 commitment to grow tourism\u2019s contribution to the economy by affecting shifts in tourism demand streams for Malta.<\/p>\n<p>The Deputy Prime Minister also explained that as part of its wider strategy, the Malta Tourism Authority will also 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 &#8211; including religious tourism, heritage tourism, military tourism, art tourism, and culinary tourism, among other areas.<\/p>\n<p>This strategic shift will ensure that destination Malta will be able to achieve the required paradigm shift in its tourism mix, in coming years.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_51429\" class=\"pvc_stats all  \" data-element-id=\"51429\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.0\" viewBox=\"0 0 502 315\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\"><g transform=\"translate(0,332) scale(0.1,-0.1)\" fill=\"\" stroke=\"none\"><path d=\"M2394 3279 l-29 -30 -3 -207 c-2 -182 0 -211 15 -242 39 -76 157 -76 196 0 15 31 17 60 15 243 l-3 209 -33 29 c-26 23 -41 29 -80 29 -41 0 -53 -5 -78 -31z\"\/><path d=\"M3085 3251 c-45 -19 -58 -50 -96 -229 -47 -217 -49 -260 -13 -295 52 -53 146 -42 177 20 16 31 87 366 87 410 0 70 -86 122 -155 94z\"\/><path d=\"M1751 3234 c-13 -9 -29 -31 -37 -50 -12 -29 -10 -49 21 -204 19 -94 39 -189 45 -210 14 -50 54 -80 110 -80 34 0 48 6 76 34 21 21 34 44 34 59 0 14 -18 113 -40 219 -37 178 -43 195 -70 221 -36 32 -101 37 -139 11z\"\/><path d=\"M1163 3073 c-36 -7 -73 -59 -73 -102 0 -56 133 -378 171 -413 34 -32 83 -37 129 -13 70 36 67 87 -16 290 -86 209 -89 214 -129 231 -35 14 -42 15 -82 7z\"\/><path d=\"M3689 3066 c-15 -9 -33 -30 -42 -48 -48 -103 -147 -355 -147 -375 0 -98 131 -148 192 -74 13 15 57 108 97 206 80 196 84 226 37 273 -30 30 -99 39 -137 18z\"\/><path d=\"M583 2784 c-38 -19 -67 -74 -58 -113 9 -42 211 -354 242 -373 16 -10 45 -18 66 -18 51 0 107 52 107 100 0 39 -1 41 -124 234 -80 126 -108 162 -133 173 -41 17 -61 16 -100 -3z\"\/><path d=\"M4250 2784 c-14 -9 -74 -91 -133 -183 -95 -150 -107 -173 -107 -213 0 -55 33 -94 87 -104 67 -13 90 8 211 198 130 202 137 225 78 284 -27 27 -42 34 -72 34 -22 0 -50 -8 -64 -16z\"\/><path d=\"M2275 2693 c-553 -48 -1095 -270 -1585 -649 -135 -104 -459 -423 -483 -476 -23 -49 -22 -139 2 -186 73 -142 361 -457 571 -626 285 -228 642 -407 990 -497 242 -63 336 -73 660 -74 310 0 370 5 595 52 535 111 1045 392 1455 803 122 121 250 273 275 326 19 41 19 137 0 174 -41 79 -309 363 -465 492 -447 370 -946 591 -1479 653 -113 14 -422 18 -536 8z m395 -428 c171 -34 330 -124 456 -258 112 -119 167 -219 211 -378 27 -96 24 -300 -5 -401 -72 -255 -236 -447 -474 -557 -132 -62 -201 -76 -368 -76 -167 0 -236 14 -368 76 -213 98 -373 271 -451 485 -162 444 86 934 547 1084 153 49 292 57 452 25z m909 -232 c222 -123 408 -262 593 -441 76 -74 138 -139 138 -144 0 -16 -233 -242 -330 -319 -155 -123 -309 -223 -461 -299 l-81 -41 32 46 c18 26 49 83 70 128 143 306 141 649 -6 957 -25 52 -61 116 -79 142 l-34 47 45 -20 c26 -10 76 -36 113 -56z m-2057 25 c-40 -58 -105 -190 -130 -263 -110 -324 -59 -707 132 -981 25 -35 42 -64 37 -64 -19 0 -241 119 -326 174 -188 122 -406 314 -532 468 l-58 71 108 103 c185 178 428 349 672 473 66 33 121 60 123 61 2 0 -10 -19 -26 -42z\"\/><path d=\"M2375 1950 c-198 -44 -350 -190 -395 -379 -18 -76 -8 -221 19 -290 114 -284 457 -406 731 -260 98 52 188 154 231 260 27 69 37 214 19 290 -38 163 -166 304 -326 360 -67 23 -215 33 -279 19z\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/i> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a groundbreaking development for Malta\u2019s tourism industry, on Tuesday evening, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ian Borg announced a new direct flight schedule between New York\u2019s John F Kennedy International Airport and Malta International Airport, starting in summer 2026 by Delta Air Lines. The international airline confirmed it will [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_51429\" class=\"pvc_stats all  \" data-element-id=\"51429\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.0\" viewBox=\"0 0 502 315\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\"><g transform=\"translate(0,332) scale(0.1,-0.1)\" fill=\"\" stroke=\"none\"><path d=\"M2394 3279 l-29 -30 -3 -207 c-2 -182 0 -211 15 -242 39 -76 157 -76 196 0 15 31 17 60 15 243 l-3 209 -33 29 c-26 23 -41 29 -80 29 -41 0 -53 -5 -78 -31z\"\/><path d=\"M3085 3251 c-45 -19 -58 -50 -96 -229 -47 -217 -49 -260 -13 -295 52 -53 146 -42 177 20 16 31 87 366 87 410 0 70 -86 122 -155 94z\"\/><path d=\"M1751 3234 c-13 -9 -29 -31 -37 -50 -12 -29 -10 -49 21 -204 19 -94 39 -189 45 -210 14 -50 54 -80 110 -80 34 0 48 6 76 34 21 21 34 44 34 59 0 14 -18 113 -40 219 -37 178 -43 195 -70 221 -36 32 -101 37 -139 11z\"\/><path d=\"M1163 3073 c-36 -7 -73 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height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":51440,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-51429","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-local-news"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines.jpeg",284,177,false],"thumbnail":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines-150x93.jpeg",150,93,true],"medium":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines.jpeg",284,177,false],"medium_large":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines.jpeg",284,177,false],"large":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines.jpeg",284,177,false],"1536x1536":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines.jpeg",284,177,false],"2048x2048":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines.jpeg",284,177,false],"td_0x420":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines.jpeg",284,177,false],"td_80x60":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines-80x60.jpeg",80,60,true],"td_218x150":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines-218x150.jpeg",218,150,true],"td_324x400":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines.jpeg",284,177,false],"td_696x0":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines.jpeg",284,177,false],"td_1068x0":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines.jpeg",284,177,false],"td_100x70":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines-100x70.jpeg",100,70,true],"td_265x198":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines-265x177.jpeg",265,177,true],"td_324x160":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines-284x160.jpeg",284,160,true],"td_324x235":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines.jpeg",284,177,false],"td_356x220":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines.jpeg",284,177,false],"td_356x364":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines.jpeg",284,177,false],"td_533x261":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines.jpeg",284,177,false],"td_534x462":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines.jpeg",284,177,false],"td_696x385":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines.jpeg",284,177,false],"td_741x486":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines.jpeg",284,177,false],"td_1068x580":["http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Delta-Airlines.jpeg",284,177,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Bernard Lynch","author_link":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/author\/bernardlynch\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"In a groundbreaking development for Malta\u2019s tourism industry, on Tuesday evening, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ian Borg announced a new direct flight schedule between New York\u2019s John F Kennedy International Airport and Malta International Airport, starting in summer 2026 by Delta Air Lines. The international airline confirmed it will&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51429"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51429\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51430,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51429\/revisions\/51430"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}