Malta's Hermes Aviation eyes Malta-Italy market

Hermes Aviation has taken delivery of a first aircraft, ex-Blue Panorama Airlines B737-400, 9H-HER (msn 24901), into Malta earlier this week according to Skyliner Aviation. While little details have so far emerged about the start-up's plans, it is reportedly planning to launch scheduled services linking the island state with several destinations in Italy. (Source: ch-aviation.com, 31-May-2014)

Air Malta A319 lands safely at Malta IAP after reporting a flaps problem

An Air Malta plane had an emergency last night when it was unable to deploy its flaps while landing in Malta. The aircraft was flying in from Frankfurt. 

Air Malta confirmed the incident. It said that as a precautionary measure the captain advised emergency services to be on standby and advised the passengers accordingly. The aircraft performed a normal landing after the crew completed the required procedure.

The Air Malta spokesman said that the airline's crew are routinely trained for such eventualities. The aircraft has been serviced by the airline’s engineers and will re-enter service this morning. (Source: timesofmalta.com, 19-May-2014)

Polish Navy confirms participation at 2014 Malta International Airshow

In the 2014 edition of the Malta International Airshow Poland will participate with a Polish Navy M28 Bryza that shall be taking part in the static display. This will be the third time that Poland will participate in the Malta Airshow after taking part in the 2011 and 2013 editions.  

The Bryza is one of the many variants of the An-28, the Bryza is the Maritime Patrol reconnaissance variant (equipped with: 360° Search and Surveillance Radar ASR-400, Link-11 datalink). Used mainly for sea border patrolling, search and rescue operations and protection of the national economical sea zone. (Source: maltairshow.com, 16-May-2014)

Lufthansa A321 in scare as smoke detector goes off at Malta IAP

A Lufthansa Airbus A321 caused a scare at Malta IAP this afternoon when a smoke detection alarm in the hold went off. The aircraft stopped on the runway as soon as it landed after a flight from Frankfurt. Fire teams were dispatched to the spot but there appeared to be no fire. Passengers disembarked on the runway. Chutes were not used. Airport operations resumed after a few minutes. The aircraft was taken to Lufthansa Tecknik for an inspection. The departure from Malta to Frankfurt at 4.50pm was cancelled. (Source: timesofmalta.com, 15-May-2014)

Germany confirms participation at 2014 Malta International Airshow

Germany will be increasing its participation this year with both the German Navy and the Air Force making a presence. The German Navy has confirmed a Do228 and a P-3 and the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) will be sending a Tornado from JG33. All three aircraft will be in the static display line and this is a most welcomed return of the German Air Force to the Malta International Airshow after an absence of a number of years. (Source: maltairshow, 9-May-2014)

M.I.A. plc releases traffic results for April 2014

Malta IAP, in April, hosted a total of 376,935 passengers, resulting in an increase of 13.7% when compared to the same period last year. The U.K. continues to lead as the biggest market, increasing its passengers arriving on Malta by 14.8%. Germany and France registered even higher growth at 21.6% and 21.4% respectively. 

Meanwhile, aircraft movements for April increased by 11.1%. This mirrored the increase of 11.7% in seat capacity which reached 491,856, when compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. Seat Load Factor registered an increase of 1.3%, while the maximum take-off weight (MTOW) increased by 10.5% when compared to 2013 figures. Cargo and mail registered a decline of 8.7% over the previous year. (Source: maltairport.com, 5-May-2014)