Attard appointed CEO of WAS

Mosta, 28/07/06 - Dominic Attard has been appointed chief executive of Air Malta associate World Aviation Systems (WAS). Attard, who is currently chief officer strategic and planning at Air Malta, told Island Travel Trader Online he will move to WAS on 1 August.

WAS, set up in 1989 and in which Air Malta has a 50 per cent stake, is a general sales agency that represents several international airlines on the islands. It supplies commercial and operational services for both online and offline carriers. WAS services cover both passenger and freight.

WAS has also been appointed to operate Air Malta's soon to be launched international call centre.

The call centre will be housed at the old terminal building at Luqa airport and is expected to come online on 1 September. The centre will also offer services to non-airline clients.

Island Travel Trader Online has learned that the Malta Tourism Authority has contracted WAS to service its international enquiries from the new call centre.

Attard, meantime, will be based at the call centre whilst WAS will continue to maintain an office in Valletta - run by general manager Alex Zammit.

Air Malta appoints Borg UK and Ireland manager

London, 28/07/06 - Air Malta has appointed Ray Borg as country manager UK and Ireland. He will be responsible for all airline operations in the United Kingdom, based at the head office in Putney.

Borg studied accountancy before transferring to the airline business. He has since built up over 30 years of experience at Air Malta having joined the company in 1974 as an accounts clerk. He has worked globally for the airline in a number of roles, including overseas manager in Switzerland, the Gulf states and Libya.

Before his move to the UK, Borg was general manager Belgium, responsible for all airline operations in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, before being promoted to regional manager Benelux in 2004.

Commenting on his new appointment Borg said: "I am delighted to be based in the UK, the leading market for Air Malta, and look forward to bringing my global experience of the brand to the position. Together with the UK team and our partners I shall ensure Air Malta remains the leading carrier to Malta".

KM appoints hovercraft designer to 'increase revenue'

Luqa, 07/07/06 - Air Malta has appointed Dr Brock Friesen as chief officer commercial. Friesen, who started work for the flag carrier on 2 July, reports to chief executive officer Joe Cappello and is responsible for organising, directing and controlling all the operations of the commercial division "with the specific task of increasing revenue for the airline".

Canadian-born Friesen brings more than 20 years of senior international airline management experience.  He joins Air Malta from Star Alliance where he was vice president, finance and strategy. Prior to Star Alliance in Frankfurt Friesen was a vice president with Canadian Airlines International in Vancouver (now merged with Air Canada). His various executive positions at Canadian included international marketing, international planning and alliances. Friesen's background includes business strategy, marketing and sales, revenue planning and forecasting, restructuring, network planning, fleet optimisation, changing airline business models and traffic rights negotiations. Earlier in his career Friesen was a senior energy policy advisor with the government of British Columbia.

Friesen is a PhD graduate from the University of Waterloo in Canada and has an MBA from IMD in Switzerland. He has lectured at university level on energy and natural resources economics and invented and patented the first single-engine hovercraft. He is married with one daughter and is a keen sailor.

Boat bridge linking Gozo and Malta to be built for charity

Mosta, 07/07/06 - An amazing and spectacular fund-raising event is planned for Saturday, 5 August. An attempt will be made to establish a world record by 'building' a bridge of boats from Cirkewwa in Malta to Mgarr in Gozo, a distance of five kilometres.

The event is being organised to raise funds for Dar tal-Providenza of Siggiewi and Arka Foundation of Ghajnsielem.

"Besides serving as a popular and unusual summer attraction for tourists and locals alike", say the organisers, "companies giving their support by sponsoring the event will benefit from extensive media coverage".