9H-AFQ for the first time at Malta Int'l Airport

One of the latest additions on the Maltese Civil Aicraft Register, a Bombardier CL-600 Challenger 605, with registration 9H-AFQ (c/n. 5709, ex HB-JRP), has landed for the first time at Malta Int'l Airport today at around 1215LT.

9H-AFQ is the seventh aircraft on the Maltese Civil Aircraft Register registered to Comlux Malta Ltd, a subsidiary of Comlux The Aviation Group.

AOC to Carre Aviation Ltd.

Carre Aviation Ltd. has been granted an Air Operator Certificate by the Director of Civil Aviation Malta.

Carre Aviation has currently one aircraft on the Malta's Civil Aircraft Register, a Challenger 800 (CRJ-100SE) with registration 9H-AFU.

Malta Register of Aircraft - Update

Malta DCA has published the latest update of the Maltese Civil Aircraft Register (dated 19th May 2009).

Addition/s (since last update of April 5th, 2009):

• 9H-AFP - BD-700 Global Express XRS (Comlux Malta Ltd.); ex HB-JGY

• 9H-AFR - BD-700 Global 5000 (Comlux Malta Ltd.); ex HB-JGN

• 9H-AFU - CL-600 Challenger 800 (Carre Aviation Ltd.); ex VP-BHX

• 9H-AFY - DHC-6-300 Twin Otter (Harbour Air (Malta) Ltd.); ex SX-GIK

• 9H-AGA - Diamond DA-40D (Diamond Flight Trainig (Malta) Ltd.; ex D-EAYC

• 9H-AGB - Diamond DA-20C1 (Diamond Flight Training (Malta) Ltd.; ex N677DC)

Diamond flight training school opens

Diamond Flight Training has opened a flight training school, registered by the Civil Aviation Department, in Malta. The company is using 2 new aircraft, a Diamond DA 40 Tdi and a Diamond DA 20 Eclipse.

The Diamond DA 40 Tdi and the Diamond DA 20 Eclipse are equipped with the latest technology and are used by most major flight academies around the world, including the USAF Flight Academy, with excellent safety records.

Diamond Flight Training invested over €500,000 in the new aircraft and training facilities at Malta International Airport. The aircrafts will be used for pilot training, pilot hour building and pilot charters.

Company director, Pierre Travers Tauss, said: "In launching this project we have spared no efforts to ensure that we invest in the most modern aircraft available in the market today for the safety and comfort of our students and fellow pilots.

"Since the set-up of the school we have had numerous enquiries and as a result we will commence training on June 1. All ground and flight training will be conducted by highly experienced and qualified instructors. All our training modules will initially lead up to a private pilot licence."

Diamond Flight Training aims to expand its operations in the near future and plans are already in place to offer more advanced training in order to be able to offer its students ground and flight training to obtain their Commercial Pilots Licence.

(www.di-ve.com)

9H-AEL makes emergency landing at Malta Int'l Airport

Air Malta's 9H-AEL, on the return scheduled flt TIP-MLA as KM697, was forced to an emergency landing at Malta Int'l Airport due to hydraulic leak in the main under carriage.

Aircraft landed safely at Luqa Airport at 1748LT and taxied under its own power to Apron 8. Total passengers onboard 58 + crew.

Aircraft was checked by Air Malta's engineers and returned to fleet service the following day.

Four aircraft wrecks identified in seabed survey off the Maltese islands

A seabed survey off the Maltese islands has led to the identification of 4 aircraft wrecks from the WWII era, although the Gloster Gladiator popularly known as "Charity", which was shot down in 1940, proved elusive. The survey was carried out on Wednesday by the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2, which is in Malta to allow the Armed Forces of Malta’s Air Wing to train in helicopter deck landing operations.

Commander Marcus Paetsch, of the NATO group's flagship FGS Donau, said that all the information gathered will be passed on to the Maltese authorities and to the Malta Aviation Museum.

Two of the aircraft located, a British-made Hawker Sea Fury fighter plane and an American A-1 Skyraider bomber, were already located in 1998, when 3 Italian mine hunters conducted a survey which was later called off due to bad weather.

They were found to have remained in a good condition, Aviation Museum director Ray Polidano said.

The 1998 survey also registered a number of hits which could not be identified due to weather conditions. With no such troubles on Wednesday’s search, these hits could now be identified, and 2 further aircraft, a Bristol Beaufighter and a Fairey Firefly, were discovered.

Mr Polidano said that a Beaufighter was recorded lost in the area while on a practice bombing run, after it was struck by its own bomb splash.

He added that no records of a Firefly being lost in the area exist, which suggested that the aircraft was a target drone, a remote-controlled aircraft used for target practice. Such Fireflies were painted in a bright yellow-red scheme to clearly indicate that it was pilot-less.

Although the wrecks were found in relatively deep seas, Mr Polidano said that it would be possible to recover them. However, there is no intention to do so – unless it is determined that they are at risk.

Mr Polidano said that a running concern was the damage which might be done by trawling, adding that trawlers have, in all probability, already led to the loss of other examples of aviation history.

(www.di-ve.com)

Twin Otter SX-GIK re-registered as 9H-AFY

The Amphibian DHC-6-300 Twin Otter, to be used by Harbour Air (Malta) Ltd. between Malta In't Airport and Mgarr Harbour, Gozo, has crossed from Medavia to Malta Int'l Airport this afternoon sporting a new registration, 9H-AFY.

9H-AFY is the second aircraft on the Maltese Civil Aircraft Register to be registered to Harbour Air (Malta) Ltd.

9H-AFR for the first time at Malta Int'l Airport

One of the latest additions on the Maltese Civil Aicraft Register, a Bombardier BD-700 Global 5000, with registration 9H-AFR (c/n. 9249, ex HB-JGN), has landed for the first time at Malta Int'l Airport today.

9H-AFR is the sixth aircraft on the Maltese Civil Aircraft Register registered to Comlux Malta Ltd, a subsidiary of Comlux The Aviation Group.

9H-UMJ makes emergency landing at Bahrija, no one injured

A microlight private plane made an emergency landing in a field in Fomm ir-Rih, limits of Bahrija, late on Wednesday morning.

Paediatrician Dr Paul Soler and his wife, were on board. Both emerged from the plane uninjured. In comments to journalists, Dr Soler said that neither he nor his wife were injured. He explained that he had been in the air for around 50 minutes, when he noticed that the plane's engine was stalling. It was here that he decided to attempt a landing in the open fields.

The aircraft, a yellow ICP MXP-740 Savannah with registration number 9H-UMJ, is owned by Aero Club Malta. Dr Soler is the President of the club.

Luckily, the pilot managed to avoid several electricity poles and overhead cables a few metres away from the landing site, sources said.

Civil Protection Department rescuers and an army helicopter were dispatched to the site to assist the couple.

(www.maltastar.com)

Malta Int'l Airport releases traffic results for April 2009

Malta Int'l Airport last month registered a 1.4% increase in passenger movements.

The first four months of 2009 resulted in an average drop of 9.4% when compared to the corresponding period last year.

The total passenger movements amounted to 255,013 an increase of 3,442 passengers when compared to April last year. Both the seat load factor and cargo and mail figures registered a decline of 0.4% and 23.9%, respectively.

Passenger traffic for two main markets - U.K., and Germany, experienced declines of 9.6% and 1.2%, respectively while Italy increased by 10.6%. M.I.A. registered increases of 15.1% on the French market and 521.7% from Cyprus.

The busiest day last month in terms of passengers was the 14th with 11,931 movements and 90 aircraft.

(www.timesofmalta.com)