Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1194267
19.12.19 5 NEWS AS travellers pack their bags to make their way home for Christmas, or to jet off to one of the airport's new winter des- tinations, Malta Internation- al Airport is expecting over 160,000 passengers to pass through its gates between 22 and 31 December. While the terminal will be bustling with activi- ty throughout this ten-day stretch, seeing record passen- ger numbers travel during the Christmas holidays, the heavi- est travel day is expected to fall on 28 December. e airport's priority during these busy periods remains to ensure a journey which is not only safe and easy for passen- gers but is also as stress-free and enjoyable as possible. Holiday travellers are advised to check in online and arrive at the airport at least two hours prior to their flight's scheduled departure time. To guarantee a smoother trip through security, passengers are advised to leave gifts which are being carried in a hand lug- gage unwrapped, as these may need to be screened. Electronics, other than mo- bile phones, will also need to be screened and should there- fore be kept in an easily-acces- sible spot. A winter wonderland for the young and the young at heart awaits just outside security, where festive elves will be trav- elling from one gate to another with their fairy cart, stocked with traditional imqaret, mince pies, Christmas log slices and freshly-brewed mulled wine. Parents can look forward to getting some last-minute Christmas shopping done at the airport's airside outlets and getting their gifts wrapped (for free!) while their tiny travellers have some fun of their own. A supervised play area for children has been set up at Gate 3 to cater for over 6,400 youngsters who will be travel- ling through Malta Airport this holiday season. Visitors who are just stop- ping by the airport to pick up or drop off their loved ones are welcome to enjoy a warm Christmas drink while they cross off items on their gift- lists from the airport's landside outlets. Guests heading up to the Ob- servation Deck on level 3 to see off their friends or relatives should also keep an eye out for the airport's Christmas crib, which has been hand-crafted by Benny Camilleri, a Malta In- ternational Airport employee. At the Food Court on level -1, the airport will also be hosting a special celebration of Christ- mas traditions from all over the world as part of the annual Christmas Kids' Club, which will be taking place between Saturday 21 December and ursday 2 January. Midnight mass will also be celebrated in the Check-In Hall on Christmas Eve." LIDL Malta, the country's leading su- permarket with eight outlets spread around the Maltese Islands, strives to positively impact its employees, the en- vironment and the society around it on a daily basis. is is why the company involves it- self, together with its team members, in various projects with a number of NGOs. One of the events taken up by Lidl Malta as part of its Corporate Social Re- sponsibility programme, is the donation of €5.000 worth of Lidl Malta vouchers given to five NGOs representing differ- ent areas of the Maltese community. Caritas, Dar Merhba Bik, MSPCA, OASI Foundation and YMCA: these are the five NGO's that have received the donation during a ceremony that was held earlier this week by Lidl Malta's Head Office in Luqa. "We have the Maltese society at heart and realise the importance of our role in the community. We consider ourselves to be part of the society in which we op- erate and we want to make our contri- bution, not only through our daily work but also through practical and locally rooted initiatives," said Mark Farrugia, Regional Director of Lidl Malta. "Christmas is a very special occasion for all of us therefore we wanted to spread the joy during this festive period with the community which surrounds us. We have selected these 5 different NGOs because they touch different social aspects, all of which are equally important, and we hope to aid in their noble missions." Apart from this donation and the local CSR projects that are being carried out on a monthly basis, Lidl Malta was once again the main sponsor of the annu- al Puttinu Cares Football & Volleyball marathon earlier in September and will be collaborating with "Id-Dar Tal-Prov- idenza" with the inauguration of their new premises later on this month. Lidl Malta donates €5,000 to five NGOs as part of its CSR endeavours Over 160,000 passengers expected as holiday season lands at Malta Airport