Air Malta is a flagship carrier of the Islands of Malta, and its primary aim is to serve national interest by establishing, maintaining, developing and operating air transport services to and from Malta for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail. Since its inception and first flight on 1 April 1974, the airline has been instrumental in opening up and connecting Malta to the rest of the world, diversifying and presenting new tourism market opportunities to and from the islands. In fact, 1.8 million passengers per year make use of Air Malta’s services. The airline offers customers a selection of around 30 scheduled destinations to Europe, North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean. Air Malta has a fleet of six Airbus A320 and four Airbus A319 aircraft configured in business and economy.