Malta IAP welcomes 4.5 millionth passenger after unprecedented 4-year growth

Malta International Airport today welcomed its 4,500,000th passenger this year, marking another milestone in the airport’s history, as annual traffic keeps growing to unprecedented levels. Annual traffic is now one million passengers more than it was in 2011, a growth of more than 25%, with traffic of the last four years having risen greater than passenger movements of the previous 10 years combined. (Source: maltairport.com, 17-Dec-2015)

Air Malta's flight from Amsterdam diverts to Rome-Fiumicino

An Air Malta Airbus A319-100 (9H-AEH), performing flight KM-395 from Amsterdam-Schiphol (the Netherlands) to Malta IAP, had to divert to Rome-Fiumicino (Italy) this afternoon, as a precautionary measure, due to some technical problems. 

Since no spare parts were available in Rome, Air Malta's flight KM-476 between Malta IAP and Paris-Orly (France), opw Airbus A320-200 '9H-AEP', had to be diverted to Rome to drop off spare parts and two technicians. 

After repairs were carried out on 9H-AEH, the aircraft departed again and reached Malta IAP with a delay of six hours. (13-Dec-2013)

Turkish Airlines A332 diverts to Malta IAP due to a medical emergency

A Turkish Airlines Airbus A330-200 (TC-JIV), performing flight TK-589 from Liberville (Gabon) to Istantbul-Ataturk IAP (Turkey), had to divert to Malta International Airport this morning due to a medical emergency onboard. The aircraft continued with its flight to Istanbul after a two-hour technical stop. (10-Dec-2013)

M.I.A. plc releases traffic results for November 2015

Passenger figures this November have continued the upward trend which has characterized this year’s overall performance, increasing by 10.6% over the same period last year and equivalent to an additional 27,250 passenger movements. 

Seat capacity grew by 9.4% due to greater route frequency, while the number of occupied seats on flights also increased from 80% to 81.3%. 

The top five destinations last month saw one major shift in which Turkey displaced Switzerland after achieving an impressive 63.4% rise in passengers due to increased flights to Istanbul. 

This November two of the airport’s top five markets saw a slight dip in traffic numbers with France and Germany dropping by -3.6% and -0.2% respectively. The rest outperformed the same period last year, with Italy registering an 18% increase in passengers and the U.K. market increasing by 1.9%. Spain also bolstered its traffic figures by more than double as a result of new operations to and from Barcelona this winter. 

In November the maximum take-off weight (MTOW) increased by 12.5%, and Cargo and Mail marked an increase of 11.5%, reaching 1,476 tonnes.

 

Overall traffic figures (Jan-Nov) show that over 300,000 more journeys started and ended at our airport this year. Passenger movements have risen by 7.6%, aircraft movements by 6.4%, cargo and mail by 3.4%, and seat capacity has expanded by 5.6%. (Source: maltairport.com, 8-Dec-2015)   

AFM's 'new' offshore patrol vessel reaches Malta

AFM's 'new' offshore-patrol vessel P62 has arrived at the AFM's maritime base at Hay wharf early this morning under the command of Maj J. Grixti. 

P62, formerly LE Aoife (P 22) with the Irish Naval Service, was donated to Armed Forces of Malta by the Irish Government. She left from Cork, Ireland, on Nov. 28th after undergoing maintenance works by the Irish Army and the Armed Forces of Malta.

CSA Czech Airlines to operate Prague-Malta route next summer

CSA Czech Airlines in summer 2016 season plans to introduce additional new routes from Prague, including amongst is the new route to Malta. The Prague-Malta-Prague will commence on Jun. 11th with one weekly flight, on Saturdays, up to Sep. 24th. A second weekly route will be introduced on Tuesdays between Jun. 28th and Aug. 30th. (Source: airlineroute.net, 18-Nov-2015)

Iberia Express adds Madrid-Malta service in summer 2016

Iberia Express, Iberia's low-cost subsidiary, in summer 2016 season plans to offer flights on Madrid-Malta route. The Madrid-Malta-Madrid will commence on Jun. 18th with three weekly flights (on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays) up to Sep. 17th (Source: airlineroute.net, 13-Nov-2015)

M.I.A. plc releases traffic results for October 2015

Autumn at Malta IAP began on a positive note this year with passenger numbers comparable to those typically experienced during the early summer months. Passenger movements this October showed the greatest increase of any month in 2015 so far, with a 10.2% growth over October 2014. 

In total, 464,557 passengers passed through the airport, representing a net gain of 42,834, over October last year. The rise in traffic has moved in line with seat capacity growth of 11.4% last month.

The airport also saw its four millionth passenger last month, a considerable shift forward from last year when passenger figures hit this same milestone on the Nov. 21st, a full month later. 
 
With the exception of Germany which underwent a dip of 7.3%, all of the airport’s top ten performing countries last month exceeded their passenger numbers over the previous year. France demonstrated a modest increase of 1.4%, while Turkey shot ahead, almost doubling its numbers from 6,705 to 12,949 passengers this October. 

Additional flights to the Netherlands also led passenger figures to grow by an impressive 40.4%. Other high-performing countries include Austria and Sweden which increased by 20.8% and 29%, as well as Switzerland which saw a 29% boost due to the entry of a new carrier into the Swiss market. 

The top two destinations remained the U.K. and Italy which grew by 9.6% and 10.1% respectively and constituted a combined total of 18,626 additional passengers last month.
 
In October, cargo increased by 3.6% which constituted an additional 52 tonnes. This means the airport carried the equivalent of 2,300 filled suitcases in additional cargo when compared to the figures registered last year. (Source: maltairport.com, 5-Nov-2015)

Air Malta plane makes precautionary landing after bird strike

An Air Malta aircraft made a precautionary landing after a bird strike as it took-off for Duesseldorf (KM-352) yesterday. 

A passenger who was on board the plane said the plane levelled out soon after take-off and the pilot informed those on board that it had been decided to return to Malta as a precautionary measure because of a bird strike. The plane circled the island and then landed safely. 

"The crew on board was working perfectly and professionally," the passenger said. He described the landing as 'perfect' and said the plane immediately headed to the maintenance area where it was examined by engineers. 

They found evidence of a bird strike and remains of the bird were also found on the runway. The plane itself was ready for flight after about an hour. One passenger refused to fly again and was taken to the terminal building. (Source: timesofmalta.com, 5-Nov-2015)

easyJet to fly Malta-Geneva service next summer

easyJet is to fly a new route between Malta and Geneva from the coming summer. The new summer service commences on Mar. 29th. Flights will operate twice weekly on Tuesdays and Saturdays with fares starting from €31.49 one way per person. A. Gayward, UK commercial manager for easyJet, commented: "I am really pleased that we are adding another destination to our network from Malta. We will now operate to six destinations from Malta and have come a long way since the launch of our first flight to Malta back in March 2008. (Source: timesofmalta.com, 4-Nov-2015)

easyJet A319 diverts to Malta IAP due to bad weather at Catania

An easyJet Airbus A319-100 (G-DBCE), performing flight BA-2694 from London-Gatwick (U.K.) to Catania-Fontanarossa (Sicily), had to divert to Malta International Airport this morning (around 1140lt) due to a bad weather at Catania airport. The aircraft continued with its flight to Catania after a two-hour tech-stop at Malta IAP. (1-Nov-2015)

AFM signs contract for third Maritime Patrol Aircraft

The Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) signed a contract for the provision of the third Maritime Patrol Aircraft funded by the E.U. 2014-2020 Internal Security Funds. The contract was signed in the presence of Aerodata President and CEO H. J. Stahl, Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta Brig J. Curmi and other high ranking members of the AFM.

This aircraft will join the two King Air B200 fleet already in the AFM’s possession and will come complete with integrated systems and a service support package strengthening the current fixed wing fleet’s role of protecting the southern external borders of the E.U. 

The specialised mission system equipment integrates a belly mounted radar, a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) system, SAR direction finder and a number of other sensors and communication equipment including satellite communication and data transmission.

The aircraft will be modified at the Aerodata’s facilities at Braunschweig airport in Germany. The third King Air B200 aircraft is expected to be delivered in 2017. (Source: Armed Forces of Malta, 

Ryanair launches new route between Rome-Ciampino and Malta IAP

Ryanair has launched its new route between Rome-Ciampino and Malta IAP this afternoon. The first scheduled flight, operated with Boeing B737-800 (EI-ESM), landed at Malta IAP around 1440lt. It re-departed to Ciampino after a quick turn. Ryanair will be operating six-weekly flights the two airports this winter (no flights on Wednesdays). (25-Oct-2015)

KLM and Air Malta inaugurate code-share agreement

KLM and Air Malta have inaugurated their code-share agreement today. The code-share, which started this summer, saw KLM placing its code and flight numbers on flights operated by Air Malta between Malta and Amsterdam. This agreement has enabled KLM to offer its customers daily services between Amsterdam and Malta. Air Malta’s flights to/from Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport connect with KLM’s extensive global network. Customers of both airlines are benefitting from new services, such as through check-in for passengers with connections. (Source: Air Malta, 21-Oct-2015)

M.C.M. Group opens second hangar at Malta IAP

On Oct. 15th M.C.M.'s new hangar in Malta opened its doors for the first aircraft, scheduled for maintenance works. In the light of increased aviation traffic and demand for hangar space and aircraft maintenance services M.C.M. Group invested in an additional 2,400 square meter hangar, adjusted to its existing Maintenance facility at Malta IAP, allowing work to be completed simultaneously on three of the Bombardier Global Series and the New Bombardier C-Series . 

The opening of the new hangar marks the end of the first phase of the expansion project that the M.C.M. initiated in 2014. In the coming months the Group is looking forward to the finishing works of the 630 square meters customer service centre, 2280 square meters, workshops, offices and the state of the art training facility adjusted to the hangar. With the completion of this project M.C.M. Group will offer a truly one-stop shop for all your aviation needs from its Maintenance facility at Malta IAP. (Source: M.C.M. Group, 19-Oct-2015)

Air Malta records €16.4 million loss

Audited figures announced during today’s Air Malta AGM show that the airline posted a loss of €16.4 million for the year ending March 2015 and is set to reduce its losses to €4 million by 2016.Now in its fifth year of the European Commission's restructuring plan, the company was supposed to break even and return to profitability by next year. 

But an optimistic chairperson Ms M. Micallef said that in its final year of the European Commission's restructuring plan, the company kept its losses down to €16.4 million despite the closure of the Libya route and a drastic drop in passengers from Russia following the Ukrainian crisis. The losses from the Libyan and Russian markets amount to some €10 million but this has been offset by savings in other areas, including fuel costs. 

Results for the first six months of the current financial year show that the company has increased its profits by €8.7 million when compared to the same period of the previous year. If these results are maintained the airline is in line to reduce its losses to €4 million.

Noting the company's "economies of scale disadvantage" she said a strategic alliance would "change all this" adding that Air Malta has the potential to become part of a wider network with the clout to command prices. "Such an alliance would feed our network and ensure the much required increase in passengers and revenue," she said. (Source: maltatoday.com, 15-Oct-2015)

Ryanair to operate nine new routes to and from Malta next summer

Ryanair will be operating nine new routes to and from Malta next summer, bringing its total of destinations from the island to 36 – two more than Air Malta. The airline said this was being done through an investment of $100 million. The new routes are Baden, Berlin, Cologne and Dusseldorf in Germany, Gdansk and Poznan in Poland, Manchester, Rome and Budapest. The airline is also increasing the frequency of its flights to Birmingham to three times weekly, Edinburgh to five weekly and London to daily. Ryanair would have an additional aircraft based here, bringing the total to three. (Source: timesofmalta.com, 14-Oct-2015)

M.I.A. plc releases traffic results for September 2015

September was the third month in a row this year to have seen more than 500,000 passengers passing through Malta IAP, creating a three-month record streak that had never been seen before. For the first time ever, more than 1.6 million passengers travelled through the airport in just three months: July, August and September. 

With a total of 502,823 passengers travelling through the airport last month, this marks an 8.6% rise over the number of passengers at Malta IAP when compared to September 2014. The average seat load factor for the month, which measures the number of filled seats on every flight, rose marginally to 85.8% last month. The increase in passengers for September is relative to the 8.5% rise in seat capacity over last year. Aircraft movements also registered a 10.8% growth, which is mostly attributed to the new seat capacity secured this year with the addition of new airlines operating to and from Malta.

The top 5 markets remain the U.K., Italy, Germany, France and Spain. Significant growth was registered on British and Italian routes with an increase of 7.4% and 12.9% respectively. German passengers recorded a drop of 4.4% due to fewer aircraft movements to Frankfurt and Munich while the French market marked a marginal decrease of 1.5%. Traffic to and from Spain was reduced by 10% due to a reduction in seats on the Barcelona and Gerona routes.

Outside of the top five markets, other destinations are registering noteworthy growth – traffic to and from Turkey has more than doubled over September 2014, while new traffic from Switzerland and Poland have generated 26% and 33% growth respectively.

Up until the Sep. 30th, Malta International Airport hosted 3,623,663 passengers - a growth of 7% over last year. Aircraft movements grew by 5.7% while seat capacity increased by 4.7%. The seat load factor also rose to 81.3% compared to 79.6% last year.

In September the maximum take-off weight (MTOW) increased by 8.9%, and cargo and mail increased by 1.5%. (Source: maltairport.com, 8-Oct-2015)

Volotea to operate flights between Malta and Catania from next year

Volotea will be operating flights between Malta and Catania from next year. There will be flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays starting from Mar. 24th with fares starting from €19.99 one way, tax included. Commercial country manager Valeria Rebasti said the airline hoped to launch flights to other destinations in the coming years. She said Malta was the first international route the airline was operating to from Catania airport. (Source: timesofmalta.com, 2-Oct-2015)

Two aerobatic teams for 2015 Malta International Airshow

Swiss and Polish aerobatic teams and Royal Navy's Black Cats will be taking part in this year's Malta International Airshow on Sep. 26th  and 27th. 

The Malta Aviation Society, which organises the show, said 12 countries and NATO will be represented in this year's edition - the 23rd. 

The PC-7 Swiss Air Force team, and the Orlik team from the Polish Air Force enjoy an excellent reputation amongvisitors to airshows. A Belgian Air Force F-16 will also be making aerobatic displays.

J. Ciliberti, President of the Malta Aviation Society, said the popular Malta International Airshow compared very well with other European displays. “We are looking forward to host some of the best pilots and engineering teams within the aviation sector. Those attending the event will also note that the static display is quite rich, with various interesting aircraft which the public can view and photography from close range." Among the displayed aircraft will be RAF Typhoon fighters.

The airshow is being supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Malta Tourism Authority, Malta Air Traffic Services, Armed Forces of Malta, Malta International Airport, the Police and Civil Protection Department.

The show times are between 10am and 5.30pm on both days. Tickets cost are adults: Saturday: €10 for prepaid tickets and €13 at the airshow gate. Sunday: €13 for prepaid tickets and €15 at the airshow gate. Children under 14 enter free when accompanied by an adult. 

More details on participating aircraft and tickets at www.maltairshow.com

(Source: timesofmalta.com, 19-Sep-2015)

Air Malta's Malta-bound flight from Frankfurt diverts to Rome-Fiumicino

An Air Malta A320-200 (9H-AEK), performing flight KM-329 (on Sep. 17th) from Frankfurt (Germany) to Malta International Airport (Malta) with scheduled time of arrival 2225LT, had to divert to Rome-Fiumicino (Italy) due to sick passenger on board. The flight continued to Malta IAP, landing at 0010LT. (18-Sep-2015)

Emirates B77L diverts to Malta IAP due to medical emergency

An Emirates Boeing B777-200LR (A6-EWC), performing flight EK-753 from Dubai (U.A.E.) to Casablanca (Morocco), had to divert to Malta International Airport this evening (around 1830lt) due to a medical emergency on board. The B77L continued with its flight to Casablanca after 1.5 hours on the ground. (10-Sep-2015)

Ryanair flight out of Malta IAP had to return after three passengers went to wrong jet

A Ryanair B737-700 (EI-ENS), performing flight FR-3475 from Malta International Airport (Malta) to Eindhoven (Netherlands), had to turn back to Malta IAP this morning after three passengers, who had check-in on the flight, had mistakenly boarded a bus which was taking passengers to an Air Malta flight bound for Duesseldorf. (9-Sep-2015)

M.I.A. plc releases traffic results for August 2015

During Malta’s busiest summer month, Malta International Airport welcomed over 18,500 passengers on average every day last August. Traffic reached an all–time high for the month with 585,218 passenger movements. On average this equates to an additional 1,000 passengers going through our terminal every day.

August traffic registered a 6.1% increase over 2014. The average load factor which measures the number of filled seats on every flight, is also on the rise reaching 87% last month compared to 86.5% in August 2014. A significant increase was also noted in the number of aircraft movements and the seat capacity being deployed to Malta IAP, which grew by 7.6% and 5.6% respectively.

Italian routes keep registering a steady growth in passengers, with an 11.9% increase over last year due to growth on the Catania, Linate, and Rome routes. This cements Italy as the second most popular destination after the UK, which holds its position as the airport’s top market. UK passenger numbers were up by 6.1% in August - achieved through increased capacity along five British routes.

Germany and France registered a marginal drop in passenger numbers, decreasing by 1.5% and 0.4% respectively. Germany’s decrease is attributed to fewer flights bound for Munich. Despite increased traffic on the Madrid and Barcelona routes, the Spanish market also dropped by 7.1%, due to the lost capacity from Seville.

In August, the maximum take-off weight (MTOW) increased by 4.8%, while cargo and mail decreased by 4.3%.

Malta IAP hosted 3,120,840 passengers this year up until the Aug. 31st, a 6.8% increase in traffic over 2014. Aircraft movements grew by 5% while seat capacity increased by 4.1%. Meanwhile, the seat load factor has also increased considerably reaching 80.7% compared to 78.7% last year. (Source: maltairport.com, 4-Sep-2015)

Air Malta flight to Manchester turns back in security precaution

An Air Malta flight to Manchester (KM-146) turned back to Malta IAP this afternoon because of a security issue. The flight was aborted as a security precaution because of a discrepancy between the number of passengers and the luggage checked in, the airline said. The flight departed at about 1600lt but turned back shortly before reaching Sicily. The aircraft, an Airbus A319, landed safely. Air Malta said the matter is under investigation. It said it gives utmost importance to the safety and well-being of its passengers and crew and it apologised to its clients for any inconvenience caused. (Source: timesofmalta.com, 28-Aug-2015)

Five Air Malta flights delayed because of technical fault

Five Air Malta flights have been delayed - one of them for 12 hours - because of a technical fault involving an aircraft. An Air Malta spokesman said the airline decided to ground one of its Airbus aircraft after an airframe problem was noted when it flew in last night.

The affected flights are to Paris, Lourdes, Rome, Athens and Budapest. The delays are between 30 minutes and two hours, except for the flight to Budapest (and return) which has been delayed by just over 12 hours. The Budapest flight was due to have taken-off from Malta today at 1100lt.

The spokesman said the airline regretted and apologised for the problem, but the safety of passengers came first. Passengers were urged to follow the airline's website for developments. The spokesman said the passengers were being given refreshments, and lunch and dinner in the case of the Budapest flight. Passengers to Budapest were offered hotel accommodation. (Source: timesofmalta.com, 24-Aug-2015)

New security procedures at Malta IAP as of Sep. 1st

Malta International Airport has invested in state-of-the-art technology to improve the security screening procedure in compliance with fresh EU regulations. As from Sep. 1st, passengers could have their hand luggage and electronic devices (laptops, tablets and mobile phones) checked for traces of explosive material using specialized detection technology.

Ongoing structural works at the central security screening area as well as the new equipment installed, are intended to make sure this procedure meets the new regulatory demands set out by the E.U. Our security team is committed to providing an efficient service and a safe environment for all our passengers. (Source: maltairport.com, 21-Aug-2015)

British Army Parachute display team 'the Tigers' to participate in the 2015 Malta International Airshow

The British Army Parachute display Team, the Tigers will be participating in the 2015 Malta International Airshow. The team had participated in the 2009 edition and we had loads of positive feedback about their display. 

 The team was formed in 1986 under the watchful eye of Col. P. V. Panton and was primarily co-located at Basingbourne Army Barracks and the Queens Division Head Quarters.

Experienced parachutists from The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment's Parachute display team - "The Tigers" - Dropping into the arena, smoke trailing, flags flying, performing amazing formations both in the air and under the parachute. (Source: maltairshow.com 19-Aug-2015)

Nose-gear of Tecnam P2002-JF 9H-SEP collapses upon landing at Malta IAP

A light aircraft type Tecnam P2002-JF with registration 9H-SEP was involved in a minor accident today at 14:49, a spokesperson for the Malta International Airport has confirmed. According to the spokeswoman, the incident led to the aircraft’s nose-gear collapsing upon landing on RWY 23. "The pilot was the only person on board and no injuries were reported. The relevant aviation authorities are investigating accordingly," MIA told MaltaToday. Witnesses said that members of the Civil Protection Department were called on site. (Source: maltatoday.com, 10-Aug-2015)         

RCAF to be back at the Malta International Airshow after 17 years

The Malta Aviation Society is proud to announce that the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) will be participating in the 2015 Malta International Airshow. A CP-140 Aurora has been confirmed to join the static line up of varied aircraft from many different nations. 

This marks the third time the Royal Canadian Air Force has participated at the Malta International Airshow, the others being 1994 and 1998 with a CP-140 Aurora.

The CP-140 Aurora is used by the RCAF as a command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) platform, the Aurora performs domestic and international operations across a wide variety of disciplines. (Source: maltairshow.com, 7-Aug-2015)

M.I.A. plc releases traffic results for July 2015

July saw an increase of 7.1% in passenger traffic, hosting 547,970 passengers at the airport. These figures can be attributed to an increased seat load factor, which measures the percentage of filled seats on each flight, of 85.2% and an increase of 4.4% in aircraft movements.

The most significant growth in July was recorded on Italian routes, which saw a rise of 11.6% when compared to 2014, ranking Italy second amongst Malta International Airport’s top markets due to an increase in passengers to and from Catania and Linate airports.

The United Kingdom holds its position as Malta’s biggest tourism market with an increase of 4.3%, with 137,152 passengers last month alone. In total, over 700,000 passengers have travelled along Maltese-British routes so far this year.

As a result of strong growth on the Frankfurt route, the German market also increased by 4.7% last month. France and Spain’s numbers dropped marginally by 2.2% and 4.1% respectively.

To date, traffic through Malta International Airport in 2015 increased by 6.9% when compared to the same period last year. The maximum take-off weight increased by 2.6% and cargo and mail decreased by 0.5%. (Source: maltairport.com, 5-Aug-2015)

VVB Aviation set to secure Maltese AOC

VVB Aviation is set to secure a Maltese Air Operators Certificate (AOC) as part of plans to enter the European ACMI/charter market. Earlier this week, Bruce Dickinson, the CEO of Cardiff Aviation which owns a 50% stake in VVB, met with Transport Malta officials to confirm final certification details for the airline.

“Transport Malta has played a crucial role in enabling VVB to take off in fixed-wing operations," he said. "With AOC details now confirmed and our first aircraft about to be deployed, Cardiff Aviation is now moving from maintenance and training to full aviation operations.”

VVB has already sourced a B737-400 which will commence ACMI operations upon receipt of its AOC. At least two more aircraft will be added before the end of the current quarter. (Source: ch-aviation.com, 10-Jul-2015)

Maltese trainee pilot in emergency landing in Sicily

A trainee pilot with the European Pilot Academy had to perform an emergency landing in Vizzini, Sicily, this morning at around 0915lt. The pilot, who it is understood was on his solo flight, was not injured. The academy confirmed the incident but would not say what led to it. It said arrangements were being made for the pilot and the aircraft to be brought to Malta. It would not say what damage was suffered by the aircraft. (Source: timesofmalta.com, 8-Jul-2015)

Armed Forces of Malta to have a third AW-139 helo

The Armed Forces of Malta will soon have its third helicopter, as the government has signed a contract for a €14 million deal part of which will be financed by the European Union. The contract was signed last week, Home Affairs Minister C. Abela announced this morning during a passing out parade of 70 new AFM recruits. (Source: independent.com.mt, 6-Jul-2015

SWISS launches flight operations to Malta IAP

Swiss International Airlines has launched flight operations between Zurich and Malta IAP today. The first scheduled flight, operated with an Airbus A320 (HB-IJB), landed at Malta IAP around 1430lt. The aircraft was welcomed by a celebratory water arch from Malta IAP's fire and rescue team. SWISS will be operating four weekly flights between Zurich and Malta IAP, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. (1-Jul-2015)

USAF confirms participation at 2015 Malta International Airshow

After an absence of 3 years the United States Air Forces (USAF) in Europe plans to participate with a C-130J Super Hercules from the 86th Airlift Wing based in Ramstein, Germany. This year marks the 60th year the C-130 is in production and it is the oldest continuously produced family of military planes in history.  

The Malta Aviation Society is grateful for the USAFE participation in this year's edition of the Malta International Airshow and the assistance provided by the Defense Attache Office at the Embassy of the United States of America in Malta. (Source: maltairshow.com, 26-Jun-2015)

Middle East Airlines A332 diverts to Malta IAP due to medical emergency

An Middle East Airlines Airbus A330-200 (OD-MEB), performing flight ME-572 from Lagos (Nigeria) to Beirut (Lebanon), had to divert to Malta International Airport this evening (around 2020lt) due to a medical emergency on board. The A332 continued with its flight to Beirut after 2.5 hours technical stop. (23-Jun-2015)

Egytian AF confirms participation at 2015 Malta International Airshow

After the very successful visit last year for the first time ever, Egypt will be again participating with a K-8E light attack aircraft in the static display. The debut of the Egyptian contingent last year during our airshow to display the K-8E 'Karakorum' and also a C-130 Hercules was a milestone for the Malta Aviation Society.

The organising committee of the Malta International Airshow is very grateful to the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Egyptian Air Force for having chosen Malta to display the K-8E aircraft. (Source: maltairshow.com, 19-Jun-2015)

Italian Coast Guard O. Cavallari calls at AFM's Maritime Base

The Italian Coast Guard Cavallari-class patrol craft Oreste Cavallari (CP 401) has sailed into Marsamxett harbour this morning on a courtesy visit.

This is Oreste Cavallari's second port-call in Marsamxett harbour this year. Her first port-call was between the 9th and 11th June.

CP 401 is presently berthing alongside at Hay wharf (AFM's Maritime Base) and she's expected to sail from Malta in the coming days after a short stay. (13-Jun-2015)

U.K.'s Royal Navy confirms participation at 2015 Malta International Airshow

A Royal Navy Avenger T.1 is the first asset from the United Kingdom to confirm it's participation in the Malta International Airshow 2015. The King Air Avenger T.1 forms part of 750 Naval Air Squadron which trains Royal Navy Observers. It is part of the UK Military Flying Training System, and operates from RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall. The Malta International Airshow organising team is grateful for the Royal Navy to be back in our island after an absence of three years. (Source: maltairshow.com, 12-Jun-2015)

M.I.A. plc releases traffic results for May 2015

Malta IAP registered an increase of 9.9% in passenger traffic over the same month last year, welcoming a record number of 441,943 passengers in May. This figure is higher than the passenger numbers registered in the August peak of 2011 (427,575 passengers), just under four years ago.

The airport’s busy summer schedule includes two new routes to Helsinki and Warsaw, five new airlines and a number of additional frequencies when compared to last year. In fact, aircraft movements and seat capacity both increased by 6.3% when compared to last year. Meanwhile, the percentage of filled seats on each flight increased from 76.4% to 79% in 2015.

In May, traffic from Germany rose significantly by 32.1% as a result of Cruise and Fly operations starting two months ahead of last year. Excellent results were also registered in Italy, with a growth of 15.4%.

The United Kingdom remains Malta’s largest tourism market, up by 1.5% when compared to the same month last year. Meanwhile, the Netherlands joined May’s leading five markets, following a 15.4% increase on the Amsterdam route. Traffic to and from France dropped by 5.8% due to the reduction of the Toulouse route.

Between January and May this year, Malta International Airport saw an increase of 6.5% when compared to last year’s figures, hosting a total of 1,528,241 passengers so far. Meanwhile, the maximum take-off weight rose by 3.6% and cargo and mail decreased by 9.5%. (Source: maltairport.com, 4-Jun-2015)

Aegean Airlines launches flight operations to Malta IAP

The largest Greek airline Aegean Airlines has launched flight operations between Athens and Malta IAP today. The first scheduled flight, operated by Aegean's subsidiary Olympic Air with a Bombardier Dash 8-400 (SX-OBB), landed at Malta IAP around 1415lt. The aircraft was welcomed by a celebratory water arch from Malta IAP's fire and rescue team. Aegean Airlines will be operating three weekly flight between Athens and Malta IAP, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. (2-Jun-2015)

Polish AF confirms participation at 2015 Malta International Airshow

We have been informed that the Polish Air Force has confirmed its participation in this years Malta Int’l Airshow. The Polish AF will be participating for the first time in Malta in the flying display programme with the Orlik Aerobatic Team, an M-28TD in static display and a transport aircraft supporting the team that shall also be part of the static display during the public hours.

The Orlik Aerobatic Team was formed in 1998 and the name Orlik is derived from the name of the aircraft PZL-130 Orlik used by the team. The Orlik Team flies a formation of seven turboprop aircraft and is world known for its elegant and precise flying. Further to the flying display of the Orlik Aerobatic Team the Polish Armed Forces are further supporting our event with two transport aircraft for static display

This news is the culmination of efforts over the last few years to have a strong Polish Armed Forces presence in Malta during the airshow. (Source: maltairshow.com, 29-May-2015)

Air Malta plans to increase flights this winter

Contrary to the impression that is being given, Air Malta is not decreasing any flights but will be actually increasing operations on its Malta-based routes this winter. In effect the airline is planning to carry more tourists to the Maltese islands whilst utilising fewer aircraft.

Air Malta absolutely agrees that aircraft are there to fly and seeing opportunities in this area, the management has drafted plans to increase aircraft utilisation hours this winter and operate the same amount of 4,452 flight sectors with seven instead of eight aircraft.

Air Malta’s ultimate aim is to do more with less and increase productivity of its assets. Various initiatives are being taken such as operating more night flights, carrying more maintenance during the night, improve aircraft turnaround times and modifying flight departure times. Air Malta reviews the profitability of all flight routes and optimises its capacity accordingly.

Aircraft are fundamental but a costly resource to any airline. All 12 Air Malta aircraft are leased in, with each lease costing millions of Euros each year. In the last few years Air Malta leased out two aircraft to foreign operators in order to recover part of its leasing costs. (Source: Air Malta, 27-May-2015)

Romanian AF and Italian AF confirm their participation at the 2015 Malta International Airshow

We are delighted to announce that for the first time ever the Romanian Air Force has accepted our invitation to participate in the Malta Internationa Airshow. A Romanian AF C-27J Spartan will be on static display at Malta IAP. This will be the very first time that a C-27J Spartan will participate.

The Italian Air Force 'Reparto Sperimentale Volo' will be back at the Malta International Airshow with a flying display from an Agusta Westland AW-149 helicopter. This will be the first time ever an AW-149 will visit our island.

The Malta based, Italian Military Mission in Malta AB-212 will also be participating at the Malta International Airshow in a flying display on the daily tasks the Mission is tasked in our islands.

The Malta Aviation Society organisers of the Malta International Airshow are looking forward to host the Romanian and Italian crews and we are also very thankful for both Romanian and Italian Air Force for accepting our invitation. (Source: maltairshow, 26-May-2015)

Jet2 lands in Malta

British leisure operator Jet2.com and Jet2holidays landed in Malta International Airport for the first time yesterday evening. Jet2.com, whose first aircraft arrived from Newcastle, will be operating low fare flights and package holidays from East Midlands, Manchester, Leeds Bradford and Glasgow airports.

The first flight from Newcastle yesterday was welcomed by Malta Tourism Authority chairman G. Gulia and Malta International Airport CEO A. Borg. British holidaymakers on board were welcomed with flowers before being invited to a cake-cutting ceremony.

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays flights and package holidays will operate weekly from Newcastle (Thursdays), East Midlands (Fridays), Leeds Bradford (Saturdays) and Glasgow (Tuesdays) and bi-weekly on Mondays and Fridays from Manchester. (Source: timesofmalta.com, 22-May-2015)

Air Malta's flight from Heathrow 'stuck' in Catania for ten-hours because of fog, crew change

An Air Malta flight from London-Heathrow (KM-103), due to have arrived in Malta shortly after midnight, was diverted to Catania and stuck there for almost ten-hours. The flight was one of two diverted because of fog over Malta. 

An Air Malta spokesman said the delay on the London flight was made worse because a crew change was required since the first crew was 'out of hours'. The flight arrived in Malta at 10am. 

The other diverted flight, from Birmingham (KM-4237), arrived in Malta early this morning. (Source: timesofmalta.com, 20-May-2015)

Ryanair to operate Malta-Rome route in winter

Ryanair has added a Malta-Rome service as part of its expanded winter 2015 schedule. Ryanair will operate 22 routes from Malta in winter 2015. The service to Rome (Ciampino Airport) starts on October 25. There will be five weekly flights. (Source: timesofmalta.com, 7-May-2015)

M.I.A. plc releases traffic results for April 2015

Malta IAP hosted 392,676 passengers in April, registering an increase of 4.2% over the same month in 2014. April’s passenger growth is in line with the increase in aircraft movements of 4.1% which translated to a seat capacity increase over last year. 

April also saw growth in the seat load factor, which measures the percentage of filled seats on each flight, to 77.8%, compared to 76.7% during the same period in 2014.

Most of last month’s growth came from traffic to and from Italy and Germany. The German market increased by 11.8%. This tallied to 5,836 more passengers than in 2014, largely due to the fact that the Cruise and Fly operation was launched earlier this year. The airport also registered an increase in traffic to and from Milan, Rome and Catania which contributed to 13.9% more passengers in the Italy market when compared to last year. Spain also re-entered the airport’s top market list with a 15% increase in traffic over 2014.
 
Notably, traffic from Poland doubled in April, putting it in 6th place on the airport’s top destinations list. The British market shrank by 3.1% with slight drops registered on Manchester and London-Gatwick flights and reduced operations on regional routes. Traffic from France was also reduced by 2.7%.

Meanwhile, the maximum take-off weight (MTOW) increased by 2.7% and cargo and mail decreased by 2%. (Source: maltairport.com, 5-May-2015)

Transaero's first scheduled flight from Moscow has landed at Malta IAP

Transaero Airlines' first flight to Malta arrived from Moscow today and passengers were welcomed by His Excellency Ambassador to Russia in Malta V. Malygin, MTA CEO P. Bugeja and Malta IAP CEO A. Borg. The aircraft (a Boeing B737-500, EI-DTX) was greeted with a water arch from the airport’s Fire and Rescue team and tourists on board were handed flowers before joining in on the cake-cutting ceremony. 

Based in Moscow, the Russian airline is one of the largest in the country, operating an extensive domestic network as well as internationally across Europe, Asia, North America and the Middle East. Transaero Airlines has the largest fleet of long-haul wide-body aircraft in Russia. Transaero Airlines is scheduled to fly weekly every Sunday this season from Moscow-Domodedovo. (Source: maltairport.com, 26-Apr-2015)

Air Malta A319 aborts landing at Vienna IAP to avoid plane on the runway

An Air Malta Airbus A319-100 aborted landing at Vienna IAP and climbed steeply to avoid another aircraft on the runway earlier today. The flight, KM-514, was on final approach when the incident happened. Passengers reported that they could see another aircraft on the runway. The pilot told them they had been ordered to abandon the landing. The plane landed safely 10-mins later. Air Malta confirmed the incident, saying it was not uncommon in busy airports and adding that passengers were never in any danger. (Source: timesofmalta.com, 23-Apr-2015)

Italian Coast Guard Bruno Gregoretti in Valletta Port

Italian Coast Guard supply vessels Bruno Gregoretti (CP 920) has sailed into Valletta Port (the Grand Harbour) this morning with the corpses of 24 migrants who perished in one of the biggest ever tragedies in the Mediterranean Sea. The corpses will be taken to Mater Dei Hospital morgue for autopsies and later burial. Magisterial inquiries will be held in Italy and Malta. The Italian Coast Guard vessel berthed at Boiler Wharf, Senglea, where Maltese and Italian officials were waiting. CP 920 is also carrying 28 survivors, all men, who will be taken to Italy.

Gian Luigi Bove, captain of the Gregoretti said it was believed that the migrants' boat capsized at about 7pm on Saturday. The Gregoretti arrived at about 2am on Sunday. Other vessels arrived earlier. There was no sign of the migrants' boat. He said that whenever his crew went on such missions they always hoped to find everyone alive. In this case they directly rescued two people and then found a number of bodies. The other survivors were then transferred from a merchant ship. The survivors, all sub-saharan men, appeared relieved to be rescued, but grief was all over their face, he said. (Source: timesofmalta.com, 20-Apr-2015)