Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1368703
4 NEWS 6.5.2021 MALTA International Airport yesterday held its twenty-ninth Annual General Meeting re- motely, during which the com- pany's performance for the year ended 31 December 2020 as well as year-to-date traffic results were presented. MIA Chairman Nikolaus Gretzmacher said that while nothing could have fully pre- pared the company for the un- foreseen events of 2020, a dec- ade of solid financial and traffic results had equipped MIA with resilience to withstand the shocks of a crisis that brought the global aviation industry to its knees. Gretzmacher went on to note that the huge impact of the pandemic on the company's aviation and non-aviation ac- tivities had led revenue gener- ated during the year under re- view to shrink by a staggering €68 million compared to 2019. However, the timely imple- mentation of a cost-cutting and liquidity preservation pro- gramme had enabled Malta International Airport to soften the financial blow of the crisis and close the year with a net loss of €4.3 million. Chief Executive Officer Alan Borg gave a more in-depth re- view of the company's financial performance during 2020, fol- lowing which the focus shifted to 2021. Between January and April 2021, Malta International Air- port welcomed merely 137,887 passengers, signalling a drop of 92.6% over the same compara- ble period in 2019. "2021 has been off to a chal- lenging and slow start, but we are confident that the second half of the year will be bet- ter. Malta's strong vaccination drive is positioning the island as a safe leisure destination with both prospective travel- lers and airlines. In fact, this summer, we expect almost 20 carriers – three of them being newcomers - to connect Malta International Airport to more than 90 airports," Borg said. He welcomed the European Commission's recent proposal to ease restrictions on non-es- sential travel from outside the European Union as another important step, in addition to ongoing trialogue negotiations on the Digital Green Certifi- cate, towards the boosting of consumer confidence in air travel and the revival of the in- dustry. During the Annual General Meeting, it was revealed that, looking ahead, the compa- ny will continue to prioritise strategic investments whose immediate return can support Malta International Airport's short to medium-term recov- ery. e company's commitment to continue working closely with government and part- ner airlines on restoring the island's connectivity in a sus- tainable manner was also un- derscored as a priority in Malta International Airport's recov- ery journey. Malta International Airport holds its 29th AGM THE Corinthia Group has ex- panded its operations to New York after securing a deal to operate The Surrey hotel once it reopens following refurbishments. The hotel is located located in the upper east side and will reopen in early 2023. The building was acquired by private investment firm Reuben Brothers in 2020 and will be the first Corinthia-run property in the United States. The hotel group has a similar deal with Reuben Brothers with a luxury hotel in Rome. The hotel, which was built in 1926, is located at East 76th Street and Madison Avenue, only steps away from Central Park. It will have 97 guest rooms, in- cluding 33 suites and five signature suites and 12 luxury residences. Casa Tua, famous for its restau- rant, hotel and private club on Mi- ami Beach, will handle the hotel's food and beverage offering. "We trust the Corinthia brand, with whom we have also partnered with on another notable project in Rome, to deliver a current and in- novative hotel proposition with an uplifting guest experience while rejuvenating the properties to their former, historic grandeur," Jamie Reuben. Corinthia CEO Simon Naudi said that a presence in the United States had been a goal for Corin- thia for many years, especially in New York. Corinthia to operate The Surrey hotel in New York