Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/430850
10 Business Today maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 10 DECEMBER 2014 Air Malta expands its web and mobile check-in services Air Malta has expanded its web and mobile check-in services and is now of- fering these services at 17 international airports. With immediate effect Air Malta passengers will now be able to check-in on web and mobile at most destinations up to one hour prior to the scheduled time of departure. Passengers using these services can start to check-in for flights 24 hours prior departure, choose their seat on board the aircraft and receive their bar coded boarding pass immediately. The service is now available at the following airports: Malta, London Heathrow and Gatwick, Vienna, Athens, Sofia, Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Catania, Zurich, Lyon, Geneva, Manchester, Moscow Domodedovo and Marseille. In the coming weeks these services will also be offered from four other airports: Rome, Milan, Paris Orly and Charles de Gaulle. "Through services such as web and mobile check-in we are facilitating airport formalities to assist passengers to save time and avoid airport queues. Such services offer passengers the flexibility to be able to check-in while travelling or from the comfort of home or office. We are currently working hard to offer other improved services to our customers", said Matina Massa, Chief Information Officer at Air Malta. More information is available at http://www.airmalta.com/information/ at-the-airport/checking-in MISCO publishes first Salaries and Benefits Report for the 5-Star hospitality sector Third quarter GDP up by 5.3% over last year MISCO has just published its very first edition of the Salaries & Ben- efits Report for the 5 Star Hospitality Sector 2014/2015. The report, com- piled over the past months is a first by MISCO for the sector and gives a good overview of the financial pack- ages and remuneration structures adopted by five-star hotels in Malta. This report should mostly appeal to the hotel industry at large as well as catering establishments, restaurants and entertainment venues. Every year, MISCO publishes its Salaries & Benefits Report. The latest edition, the 29th, was launched recently and carries an in-depth analysis of the most recent trends across 7,000 different remuneration packages available in Malta. "The Salaries & Benefits Report is the most sought after tool of its kind due to the comprehensive and well researched data and covers over 80 categories of personnel which include management, executive, clerical, technical and other personnel in various private, foreign-owned and government controlled, service and manufacturing organisations working in and from Malta," said Sophie Terpougoff from MISCO Malta. "We also publish specific sectors focusing on specific areas such as the ICT Sector. We have had several requests from hotels to publish a report that concerns what we all know is one of the main pillars in Malta's economy and this led us to work on our first edition which covers a number of 5-star hotels," added Sophie Terpougoff. The Salaries & Benefits Report for the 5 Star Hospitality Sector 2014/2015 is now available and may be bought from MISCO by contacting us on 22054 603/651 or emailing us on advisory@miscomalta.com Provisional estimates indicate that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the third quarter amounted to €2,097.8 million, an increase of 5.3 per cent over the same quarter last year. In real terms, GDP went up by 3.8 per cent. "Malta's economy has continued to grow at a rate that is three times higher than the European average," the government said in a statement. "Between July and September, Malta registered the second highest rate of economic growth amongst all the EU member states. These latest results justify a recent survey by the European Commission that shows that faith in the economy is higher in Malta than in any other EU member state. "The rate of economic growth between July and September this year is the highest it has been since the Labour Party's election to government in March 2013. A number of factors contributed to this economic acceleration, particularly an increase in private consumption, an increase in investment and the expansion of exports." During the third quarter growth in gross value added was mainly generated by public administration and defence; education; human health and social work activities; professional, scientific and technical activities; administrative and support service activities; wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; transportation and storage; accommodation and food service activities. Drops were registered in manufacturing, financial and insurance activities. "During rhese three months, workers saw their income increase by €44 million while businesses registered a profit increase of over €28 million. Almost half of this profit increase came from the wholesale and retail sectors, hotels and restautans. Strong increases also occurred in the professional service, IT, communications, arts and recreation sectors." Total final consumption expenditure in nominal terms increased by 3.7 per cent. In real terms, total final consumption expenditure increased by 3.8 per cent. Gross fixed capital formation increased by €12.7 million in nominal prices and by 4.6 per cent in real terms. Real exports and real imports increased. Compared to the corresponding quarter last year, GDP at current prices went up by €106.1 million, with an increase of €43.9 million in compensation of employees, a €28.2 million increase in gross operating surplus of enterprises, and a €34.0 million increase in net taxation on production and imports. Considering the effects of income and taxation paid and received by residents to and from the rest of the world, Gross National Income (GNI) at market prices for the third quarter is estimated at €2,069.1 million "The fact that Malta is obtaining these results while the economic growth in neighbouring countries is slowing down indicates how we are enjoying the fruit of the government's different policies," the government said in a statement. "Rather than imposing policies of economic austerity, this administration improved investment in the country and provided stronger incentives for more people to enter the workforce." YOUR FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY www.maltatoday.com.mt