London Southend Airport, five times recipient of Which? magazine’s ‘Best London Airport’ award, is boosting its coverage this summer with three new services to Sicily, Sardinia and Malta just in time to take advantage of the Brits’ annual mad-dash for European sunshine.

The new Mediterranean flights are powered by Air Malta – one of the airport’s three main airline partners along with Flybe and EasyJet – and will fly from London Southend to Catania, Sicily, and Cagliari in Sardinia twice a week.

The Malta connection, operating three times a week, will touch down at Malta International Airport which is only three miles from the island’s capital Valletta, the European Union’s ‘Capital of Culture 2018’. As such, Valletta will be hosting 40 projects and 400 events celebrating the honour, including music and art festivals, traditional Maltese customs and a seemingly endless range of family-friendly experiences — ensuring there is never dull moment for Maltese tourists in 2018.

Joseph Galea, Air Malta’s acting chief executive officer said “Air Malta is very excited. London has always been a major destination for Maltese people, and Malta is a popular attraction for British people, so the connectivity we are now offering between Malta and London – plus Cagliari and Catania – makes it very exciting for us. Mostly we fly point to point, but the London Southend product gives us the opportunity to combine Sardinia and Sicily – it is already doing well, so we are thrilled as it is where we want to go in the future.”

Glyn Jones, chief executive officer of Stobart Aviation, owners of London Southend Airport says: “We’re delighted to welcome Air Malta to London Southend – the UK capital’s best and fastest growing airport. With our multi-award winning facilities offering the strategic advantages and capacity that airlines want, fast and frequent train services to London, a market-leading record for punctuality and unique customer service that our passengers love, we look forward to providing an excellent service to passengers wanting to explore Malta, Sicily and Sardinia.

“This is just the start; we’ve plenty more big plans for 2018 in the pipeline.” He added.

Cagliari is an Italian city with a rich and varied heritage stretching back to the Roman Empire. Packed with cultural highlights, such as natural history museums showcasing prehistoric artefacts, enigmatic Roman ruins as well as the striking architecture of the region’s many churches and town squares – Cagliari is a fascinating place to explore. Tan fans are well looked after too, with Poetto beach found just east of the town.

UNESCO listed Catania, Sicily’s second largest city after Palermo, is a great alternative to the island’s capital, featuring everything we have come to know and love about Italian culture including striking buildings and amazing cuisine – Catania is home to the iconic Sicilian pasta alla Norma, as well as the colourful La Pescheria market – not to mention the welcoming nature of the locals, against the dramatic backdrop of Mount Etna.

Tickets from London Southend Airport are on sale now at www.airmalta.com, with prices starting from £35 to the three new destinations.