First Transavia.com flight from Paris lands

Fire engines welcomed the first Transavia.com flight from Paris by showering the aircraft as it landed at the Malta International Airport on Thursday.

Tourism minister Karmenu Vella, French ambassador Michel Vandepoorter, Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) CEO Josef Formosa Gauci and Malta International Airport CEO Markus Klaushoffer were among those who welcomed the passengers who arrived on the flight.

Maltese folk music and a giant cake in the shape of Malta's Neolithic temples and the Eiffel Tower welcomed the passengers, including a number of French journalists invited by the MTA.

Transavia.com will operate two weekly flights between Paris and Malta, on Monday and Thursday.

Another three airlines will launch services to Malta next month - Air Baltic from Riga, Wizz Air from Budapest and Turkish Airlines from Istanbul.