Air Malta mulls plan to hive off E70m Heathrow landing slots

The first signs of a new approach to turn around the beleaguered airline under tourism minister Konrad Mizzi appear to be a plan to hive off Air Malta’s landing rights into a new company. Landing rights in airports that are already at over-capacity, such as London Heathrow, are crucial gains for airlines seeking slots for profitable routes. “We’re not yet at the stage where we are seeking a strategic partner,” said a govt source. “The plan is to get the company on its feet instead of just selling off a minority stake,” the source said, highlighting a difference in strategy between that employed by Mizzi’s predecessor, Edward Zammit Lewis. Air Malta’s take-off and landing slots at Heathrow come with price-tags as high as E70m for a pair. <br/>