Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1200837
16.01.2020 5 NEWS MALTA International Air- port's Board of Directors to- day resolved to extend the contract of current Chief Ex- ecutive Officer Alan Borg for another term until February 2024. "e renewal of Mr Borg's contract will ensure that continuity is maintained at the highest levels of deci- sion-making at a time when there are several investment projects, which will see the long-term development of the airport campus," said Board Chairman Nikolaus Gretz- macher. "We are confident that with Mr Borg at its helm, the com- pany can continue to deliver solid results." Borg was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Malta In- ternational Airport in January 2015 and has, since then, led the airport team with a vision of service excellence and put the guest experience at the core of the company's strate- gy. With an aim to continue im- proving the passenger journey, numerous terminal upgrades, some of the most noteworthy of which were brought about by the recent 12-million-eu- ro Terminal Reconfiguration Project, were undertaken be- tween 2015 and 2019. During this time period, overall passenger satisfaction of guests travelling through Malta International Airport registered a year-on-year in- crease, eventually leading the airport to win Airport Coun- cils International's prestigious 'Best Airport in Europe' award in its size category for 2018. About MIA Malta International Airport connects the Maltese archi- pelago to over 100 destina- tions in more than 30 coun- tries. Being Malta's only air terminal, the airport hosts more than seven million pas- sengers annually, of which the majority are inbound tourists. To be able to cater for an ever-increasing number of passengers, the company has consistently invested in the terminal since the airport's privatisation in 2002, with the Terminal Reconfiguration Project bringing about the most recent overhaul. e airport campus itself has grown to provide over 1,500 parking spaces, and 14,000m² of office and retail space housed within SkyParks Business Centre, with projects in the offing set to bring about further expansion. e airport team is guided by a vision of service excellence, which led MIA to clinch the title Best Airport in Europe in 2018. To maximise its contribu- tion to Malta's cultural her- itage and environment, MIA set up the Malta Airport Foundation, an independently run non-profit organisation, which will be unveiling three projects in 2018. Malta International Airport plc is a public company listed on the Malta Stock Exchange, with its shareholders being the Malta Mediterranean Link Consortium (40%), with Flughafen Wien AG owning a 96% share, the Government of Malta (20%), the general public (29.9%), and VIE Malta Limited (10.1%). CEO Alan Borg (left) with Board Chairman Nikolaus Gretzmacher Malta International Airport confirms CEO Alan Borg for another term ITALIAN or Indian? Pizza or seafood? With millions of orders being delivered fresh from restaurants across the EU last years, consumers have never had more choice. But European delivery wars are heating up and business owners are the ones caught in the middle of the battle. "While food delivery is very convenient for con- sumers, the current model is actually quite danger- ous for our communities. For restaurants, the costs associated with being on these apps is so high that it's leading to business closures. More closures means fewer independent restau- rants, less choice and an emptier high street. Sim- ply put, restaurants can't afford not to be on these apps because of how popular they are, but the high fees associated with being on these platforms means they are making almost no profit. They can never get ahead, explains Eman Borg, CEO of Exivo. Zaype, a new Malta-based food delivery app, aims to correct the issues associated with other delivery platforms. Instead of a per order fee as well as a 20- 30% commission on the total price of the order, on Zaype, restaurants are charged a flat monthly fee of only €20. The app is free to download and lets consumers order in six languages including English, Maltese, Dutch, Italian, Latvian and Russian. Zaype is proving popular with Malta's restauranteurs with dozens having already signed up for the platform. "Years ago, there was a formula in the restaurant industry; one third of the price of the menu item was the food cost, another third was the cost of rent, labour, packaging etc. and the other third was the profit. It was the reward to the owners for all their hard work and it ensured that these restaurants stayed afloat and were around for a long time. Now food delivery companies are charging businesses al- most one third of the cost of an order just for be- ing on their platforms and those profits that used to keep restaurants going, have evaporated. We saw this phenomenon and we knew we had to change it. We're happy to see that business owners agree with us." Zaype is even proving popular amongst non-food related businesses in Malta. Borg laughs, "Yes, Zaype is the perfect platform for tourists on holiday in Malta. Let's say you're sitting in your AirBnB after a long day of exploring with your family. You're hungry so you launch Zaype on your phone. You pick a wonderful meal to en- joy then you notice 'wow! There's even a cleaning service that will come and clean the baby stroller and get rid of all those crumbs that have accumu- lated during the holiday.' Then you see that a florist can deliver to you as well, so you order a bouquet in secret and surprise your love. One app and you've ensured you have a very happy family holiday." For more information about Zaype, to sign up as a business on the platform or to download the app, visit www.zaype.com. Exivo reinvents delivery app system