Tom Batchelor speaks to key players from the blossoming Maltese civil aviation scene to discover some of the secrets behind its recent success.
Despite being a relatively small nation in the Mediterranean, Malta has long been associated with global transportation. Initially, these were lifeline sea-based links to ensure steady access to international markets for its people and products. The country’s shipping register growth over the last five decades has made Malta one of the major maritime players, and replicating this within the aviation sector seemed to many like a natural step to follow.
Air transport has played a fundamental role in allowing the country to connect with the rest of Europe and beyond, yet it is more than just its geographical location that has put Malta at the centre of the continent’s aviation map. Tax rules, European Union membership and lower registration costs tell some, but not all of the story. Recent years have seen Malta transformed into a true aviation powerhouse with a string of well-known European firms establishing subsidiaries on the island. To support them is a growing ecosystem of aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance (ACMI) providers, MROs and other services.
The arrival of Ryanair, Wiz…
