French Navy FS Meuse sailing from Valletta Port

New Djerba-Malta-Djerba flight as from July 1st

Tunisian airline Tunisair Express will be introducing a new weekly service between Malta and the Tunisian island of Djerba on July 1. The flight from Malta to Djerba Zarzis Airport, scheduled for every Friday afternoon, takes one hour.

The airline already operates flights between Malta and Tunis on Wednesdays and Sundays using the Franco-Italian built, 70-seater ATR 72 and by the Canadian-built 88-seater CRJ900.

(Source: timesofmalta.com)

French Navy FS Jean Bart in Valletta Port

TM/DCA publishes the latest update of the Maltese National Aircraft Register

Transport Malta/Directorate of Civil Aviation has published today the latest update of the Malta National Aircraft Register.

New addition/s*:

• 9H-AWK - Airbus ACJ320-214X (Comlux Malta Ltd.)

Cancellation/s*: None

*since last register update on April 25, 2011.

M.I.A. plc releases traffic results for May 2011

Passenger movements at Malta IAP grew by 5.8% during the month of May reaching 325,000 passengers. Aircraft movements and seat capacity on the other hand were 4.7% and 1.8% lower than that registered during May 2010; however the average seat load factor – which was 5.3% higher than the same month last year – more than compensated for this decline. Unsurprisingly, the maximum take-off weight (MTOW) was 4.1% lower than the same period last year, whilst cargo and mail registered a 2% drop.

As already declared, this growth – the first single digit figure registered in one month this year – has to be seen in the context of the re-aligning of traffic figures at M.I.A. when compared to the increase in seat capacity which occurred in this same month last year.

The U.K., German and French markets grew at a steady pace by 5.5%, 21.3% and 7% respectively, whereas the Spanish and Italian markets registered a decrease of 4% and 12% respectively.

Passenger growth for the period between January and May 2011 has therefore been of 15.3%, whilst aircraft movements registered an increase of 8.1% when compared to the same period in 2010. Seat capacity was 10.5% higher whilst the average seat load factor increased by 2.9%. In the same period, the MTOW increase was of 6.7% whereas Cargo and Mail decreased by 3.7% over the same period in 2010.

(Source: maltairport.com)

Two United States AF F-16CJs divert to Malta IAP

Royal Fleet Auxiliary RFA Mounts Bay in Valletta Port

Two Royal Danish AF F-16s divert to Malta IAP

Two Royal Danish Air Force F-16AMs (E-607 & E-024) were forced to divert to Malta IAP this morning due to bad weather (low visibilty) at Sigonella AB in Sicily. The two F-16AMs departed from Malta IAP after a couple of hours.

French Navy Super Etendard diverts to Malta IAP