Ryanair Expands Malta Operations with Six New Routes Ryanair will be expanding its winter schedule from Malta with six new routes, Malta Air CEO David O’Brien announced during the inauguration of the airline’s new offices in Pietà. O’Brien, who also heads Lauda Europe, said the new destinations will include airports in the UK, Sweden and Luxembourg, though he gave no further details. He highlighted that the expansion reflects Ryanair’s confidence in Malta as a hub for its operations and confirmed that the airline intends to continue investing heavily in the country. The opening of the new offices marks the latest step in Ryanair’s long-term commitment to Malta. The investment will create 70 new high-quality jobs, raising the company’s Malta-based workforce to over 500. Employees will span key areas including finance, safety, human resources, pilots, cabin crew, and engineering, reinforcing Malta’s position as a growing aviation centre.(Times of Malta)
Malta Chamber Urges Government: ‘Time to Act’ As Malta’s government prepares the 2026 Budget, the Malta Chamber of Commerce has urged decisive action to address long-standing structural challenges. Launching its pre-budget document, Time to Act, on Thursday, the Chamber outlined 47 proposals and stressed that delaying reforms would harm competitiveness, productivity, and quality of life. Chamber President William Spiteri Bailey said Malta could no longer afford empty promises. He pointed to planning policy abuse, over-construction, congestion, poor waste management, weak utilities, and a slow uptake of renewable energy as factors undermining the country’s attractiveness. Spiteri Bailey described the government’s Envision 2050 strategy as promising but warned it would remain meaningless without effective implementation. “Without concrete action, Malta risks economic stagnation and a decline in living standards. The time for promises is over. Now it is time to act,” he said. (The Malta Independent)
MDA Challenges Government’s Affordable Housing Scheme The Malta Development Association (MDA) has filed a judicial protest against a government scheme that would see housing units built on public land and sold at 70% of market value. Approved by parliament earlier this year, the initiative involves transferring land to the Foundation for Affordable Housing (FAH), a joint venture set up in 2022 between the government and the Archdiocese of Malta. The FAH aims to support lower-middle income earners who cannot afford market prices but do not qualify for social housing. On Thursday, the MDA strongly opposed the scheme, arguing that it is being presented as a social measure but effectively excludes those most in need from access to public land. The association said the plan risks exploitation by individual developers, creates discriminatory situations, distorts the property market, and may breach state aid rules. It also warned of serious social implications. (Maltatoday)
