The Luxembourg government is supporting the Armed Forces of Malta's Air Wing operations by providing a leased CASA 212.CC maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) for patrolling during the ongoing FRONTEX joint Operation ''Nautilus''.
The aircraft arriving tomorrow Tuesday, belongs to firm CAE Aviation of Luxemburg, and it will be operated from Luqa by an AFM aircrew, under the supervision of an instructor from the firm. The European external borders' co-ordination agency FRONTEX is at present still operating Operation ''Nautilus'' in the central Mediterranean against illegal immigrant activities.
During these past weeks, AFM senior pilots and technicians have been undergoing type-conversion training locally on this aircraft and its sensors.
The CASA 212 first flew in 1973 , and is a highly successful and capable short take-off and landing aircraft which is operated worldwide by several air arms and civilian companies, mainly in the transport role. The type is still in production in Spain and Indonesia, and has been in operation from Malta since 1979 in the Libyan desert regions, mostly servicing oil firms' outposts and installations.
This Luxembourg government's leased aircraft will be the largest and first turbine powered fixed wing aircraft to be operated by the AFM's Air Wing. It can be flown by day and night in almost any weather, and is equipped with a powerful nose-mounted search radar, thermal imaging and homing equipment. A ramp at the rear makes it possible to drop survival equipment from the air.
The aircraft arriving in Malta tomorrow was previously operated by the Swedish Navy as 891 in the anti-submarine role. It now carries Maltese military markings and is serial numbered AS0925, which markings it will continue to carry until the end of the Nautilus joint operation. The other EU Member State which is supporting the AFM with operational assets in this joint operation is Germany.
(AFM Press Release)
Air Malta’s flight KM612 from Malta to Rome via Reggio (Airbus A319 '9H-AEM') was on Thursday morning involved in a bird strike incident upon landing at Reggio airport. Except for this incident the flight was uneventful and the aircraft landed normally, the airline said in a statement.Passengers disembarked the aircraft and were given refreshments.In the afternoon Air Malta has sent a relief aircraft to Reggio to transport the Rome bound passengers to be able to continue with their journey whilst also ferrying Air Malta engineers to look after the affected aircraft.Due to this incident a number of Air Malta flights today will be incurring delays including KM490 from Malta to Zurich (1 ½ hours), KM146 to Manchester (2 hours), KM614 to Rome (1 hour), KM628 to Milan Malpensa (1 hour) and KM172 to Birmingham (3 ½ hours). Air Malta gives utmost importance to the safety and well-being of its clients and crew and reassures its customers that in the circumstance all possible is being done to minimise the inconvenience. Air Malta apologised to its clients for these delays caused by circumstance beyond its control.(www.maltamedia.com)
A Piper 28 Warrior II belonging to the European Pilot Academy, with registration 9H-AEZ, has veered off RWY05 shortly after landing at Malta International Airport this afterrnoon, at around 1300LT.
The Piper aircraft was slightly damaged to its port wing, after hitting a no entry sign before stopping in the disused taxiway between RWY05/23 and taxiway L 'Lima'.
No one was injured in the incident.
One of the latest additions on the Maltese Civil Aicraft Register, an Airbus A319-115X Corporate Jet, with registration 9H-SNA (c/n. 3356, ex F-WBGX), has landed for the first time at Malta Int'l Airport yesterday late evening around 2345LT.9H-SNA is the eight aircraft on the Maltese Civil Aircraft Register registered to Comlux Malta Ltd, a subsidiary of Comlux The Aviation Group.
Airport passenger movements dropped by 10.1% last month compared to June last year, M.I.A. said this morning.During the first half of the year movements dropped by 10.9% when compared to the corresponding period last year.The total passenger movements on scheduled and non-scheduled flights in June was of 277,833 a decline of 31,313 when compared to June 2008. Aircraft movements and cargo and mail figures registered a decline of 3.7% and 2.6% respectively.Passenger traffic for main markets, U.K. and Germany, decreased by 6.1%, and 14.5% respectively, whilst the Italian market saw an increase of 9.6% when compared to June 2008.The busiest day in June 2009 was the 30th in terms of passengers with 13,345 movements whilst the highest number of aircraft movements totalled to 98 on the 28th.(www.timesofmalta.com)
An Air Malta's A320 aircraft on scheduled flight (KM394) to Amsterdam-Schipol Airport (AMS) was forced to return back to Luqa Airport (MLA) this afternoon after the captain suspected a nose wheel problem.
The Airbus aircraft took off from MLA at 1632LT and landed back safely at 1721LT after performing a low flypass on RWY31 (at 1709LT) for Air Malta's engineers to check the problem from the exterior.
The Airbus A320, with registration 9H-AEF, had 167 passengers on board.The airport's fire services were deployed on scene as a precaution.
An Air Malta aircraft (A319, 9H-AEL) operating the London-Gatwick - Catania route was delayed by 2 hours 50 minutes at Catania Airport yesterday while it was disinfected after two Sicilian passengers were taken ill, the airline said today.The two, who were returning from the UK, were examined by the Sicilian medical authorities, and following laboratory tests in Palermo, it was confirmed that they were suffering from the H1N1 Swine Flu virus.Although the Air Malta crew did not have flu symptoms, the Sicilian Health authorities asked them to stay in Catania until the tests on the passengers were concluded. Air Malta and the Maltese health authorities are now making arrangements for the crew to be brought back to Malta."Air Malta's policy is to safeguard at all times the health and safety of its passengers and crews and this event reconfirms its commitment," the airline said.(www.timesofmalta.com)
The Luxembourg government is supporting the Armed Forces of Malta's Air Wing operations by providing a leased CASA 212.CC maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) for patrolling during the ongoing FRONTEX joint Operation ''Nautilus''.
