ARTICLES

Malta’s aviation industry has played a key role in the country’s economic success. Can you tell us about your vision for the future of the industry? As they say in America if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. I am on record acknowledging the fact that I inherited a healthy sector and therefore I would be naïve to try and change just for the sack of changing. I am aware of our strengths and our weaknesses and I will be addressing the weaknesses whilst continuing to support. I think we need to address the apparent lack of qualified staff and ...

Malta’s residency programs are poised for a new chapter with Jonathan Cardona at the helm. A seasoned leader in investment migration, Cardona brings a wealth of expertise to Residency Malta. This interview delves into his strategic vision for the agency, including plans to streamline processes, strengthen stakeholder relationships, and amplify the program’s positive impact on the Maltese economy. We’d like to hear about Mr. Cardona’s strategic vision for Residency Malta. What are his short-term and long-term goals for the agency, and how does he plan to achieve them? Jonathan Cardona is not new to the business. Having headed Malta’s Investor ...

We caught up with Charles who we asked to share his views regarding the post-pandemic Aviation industry and the plans for Malta. Now that we seem to have moved on from 2 years of pandemic restrictions,  what is the outlook for the industry and how is Malta and CAD looking  at the years ahead? Well, the quick and easy answer is to confirm Survival, try to Recuperate,  adapt to a new reality and Restructure and who knows maybe even Prosper and make real profits.  But in reality,  things are not so simple. In general,  the industry will remain on life support for some time. To be honest this is nothing new as the ...

BEGINS 2022: Malta is bucking the trend with strong recovery, growth and optimism against the backdrop of a dramatically shifting and increasingly uncertain world. 2022 has seen a resurgence in the aviation industry, whether it be private, commercial, business or pleasure, passenger numbers are up, and some semblance of normality has returned to the sector. I use the term “normality” lightly as no sooner had recovery begun to take hold, than the industry was hit with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the fallout of increased energy costs. This is combined with the recent OPEC+ announcement of a cap on ...

Introduction The past year has been transformative for Universal Air Charter and Management Ltd. It began in November 2021 with the acquisition a Maltese based company led by Dr Andrew Walker, catapulting the company into a wider global network with an expanded client base. The new group, who also own AMI Expeditionary Healthcare LLC (AMI), a US-based international healthcare services provider, made this strategic move to access a global AOC to compete for worldwide aviation contracts and support AMI’s healthcare clinics across Africa and the Middle East. AMI delivers a unique combination of extremely flexible teams of health practitioners combined ...

SR Technics is one of the world’s leading providers of MRO solutions for aircraft, engines, components, engine services, line maintenance and training. They have MRO facilities globally, including their 34,000 sqm Centre of Excellence in Malta which can accommodate six narrowbody aircraft and is built with modern materials with workshops and maintenance hangars that can perform all types of maintenance schedules and repairs. It even has a direct taxiway to the Malta Airport’s main runway.  Aviation Malta spoke to Daniel Galea SR Technics’ Vice President of Operations and Accountable Manager about SR Technics’ operations, its future direction and the industry ...

Paymix: Responsive, agile, convenient and most of all….compliant. Paymix Pro, a brand of Finance Incorporated Limited, is looking to change the shape of business banking with a pin-sharp focus on flexibility, convenience and compliance. Through Paymix Pro, the company offers  a flexible and convenient alternative to a bank and specialise in business accounts, card issuing and client account management with customers having immediate access through a dedicated web portal. Their tagline is: “We’re here for those who play by the rules” and it is clear that this maxim is central to their ethos. Paymix Pro  in targeting corporate and businesses, ...

LEADING THE JOURNEY TO CARBON NEUTRALITY MelAir is a Maltese-based company operating four ATR72-600s out of Malta, with another one to follow by the end of 2022. MelAir’s Chairman, Miguel Ángel Falcón, was an engineer for many years and started working in charter companies, including Meridiana. He has been a shareholder with Spanish regional airline, Air Nostrum since its launch in 1994, and now has completely diversified into several ventures. He is a member of the board at Air Nostrum and also its Vice Chairman. He is also the President and Chairman of Paranair and the CEO of Hibernian Airlines. ...

THE MARKET LEADER IN SPECIALIST PROFESSIONAL RECRUITMENT IN MALTA Hyperion Aviation Ltd. is a Maltese-based company founded and run by its Managing Director, Eric Weisskopf. He has 3 decades of aviation experience in driving commercial growth for a broad spectrum of aviation companies, including leading postions in companies such as Edelweiss Air, SR Technics, ExecuJet, Comlux Aviation and VistaJet but as well within Aircraft Finance Companies. Hyperion has also announced the launch of Hyperion Aero Capital a market disruptor dedicated to delivering aviation financing that is as transparent as it is scalable. Aviation Malta caught up with Eric Weisskopf, who ...

European Operations “FLEXJET’S STANDARDS ARE THE HIGHEST IMAGINABLE WITH A WELL-STRUCTURED MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND PROCESSES CONTROLLING INTEGRITY AND SAFETY.” Since its inception in 1995, Flexjet has experienced incredible growth as a true disruptor within the global fractional ownership market. In late 2019, Flexjet launched its European operation and fast forward to 2022, Flexjet has a European operational centre in Malta with offices in Ta’Xbiex, alongside a sales office in Mayfair London, and a Tactical Control Centre at Farnborough Airport. It is also in the process of developing a private helicopter division, aiming to deliver a truly global door-to-door service that ...

Payments are vital for every company regardless of size or industry. Finductive recognises and understands that setting up a bank account or payment account causes a lot of frustration and is a time-consuming process for many companies, especially those that are recently incorporated or new to the country. The management team at Finductive has experienced this first-hand, and their mission is to put the client at the core of operations and make the experience of setting up an account as pain-free and efficient as possible. Businesses are starting to move away from con=ventional banking methods and towards other financial service ...

PARTNERANDHEADOFAVIATIONATFENECH&FENECHADVOCATES Malta is quickly taking the lead in the certification of drone operators under Part C of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/947. The Light UAS Operator Certificate (LUC) enables organisations to self-authorise drone operators without the need for applying for an authorisation or recognition from the Civil Aviation Directorate of Transport Malta (TM- CAD) or other European civil aviation authorities. LUC certification follows a determination by TM-CAD of the drone operator’s ability to assess operational risk itself, granting the LUC operator certain privileges to self-authorise drone operations across all EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) member countries. In many ways a ...

CEO, Elit’Avia: Focused on a Sustainable Future The Big Picture The private aviation industry is expected to grow steadily through the end of the decade. Honeywell’s Global Business Aviation Outlook forecasts up to 7,400 new business jet deliveries, worth $238 billion, by 2031. Transport Malta’s aircraft registry is also in full growth with 43 air operator certificates (AOCs) and 721 registered aircraft (as of May 2022). However, anyone who attended EBACE would probably agree that sustainability was a dominant theme in Geneva this year. So, the challenge for the entire industry is to successfully manage growth and prosperity while taking ...

Julian Perigo is the Managing Director of Boston Link, the market leader in specialist professional recruitment in Malta. He discusses the launch of their specialist brand focusing on the Travel, Tourism Leisure industry, and Link Talent. Boston Link has been recruiting for the aviation sector in Malta since 2018. We’ve been involved in the hiring of many key industry personnel on the island over the last four years, both from the domestic market and abroad. We felt the time was right to enhance our focus on the Aviation sector in Malta through the launch of a dedicated brand, Link Talent. ...

CEO and Co-Founder, Azzera LEADING THE JOURNEY TO CARBON NEUTRALITY Big Vision Azzera is Italian for reset and that summarizes the company’s vision – to help its clients reset their carbon footprint as they move towards carbon neutrality. “We created a simplified experience for aircraft owners, operators and individual passengers to take their first steps towards carbon neutrality. Azzera’s unique approach guides you through measuring emissions, reducing your footprint, accessing carbon markets and sourcing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Drawing from our expertise in private aviation, we are working with clients on both compliance-based and voluntary carbon offset programs,” says Puja ...

Ryan Cremona Founder & Managing Director “3PLEX GROUP PROVIDES THE SKILL SET, EXPERTISE, AND SOLUTIONS TO CREATE A ONE-STOP SHOP FOR IMPROVING FLEET RELIABILITY AND OPERATIONAL RESPONSE” 3PLEX GROUP, based in Malta and operating with customers from various countries, brings together a suite of training, aircraft operational, maintenance, design and storage management solutions that can be adapted to suit your needs and requirements. The team consists of highly accredited and experienced aviation professionals dedicated to providing knowledgeable counsel and representation to owners and operators of private and corporate aircraft. Whether you are buying, selling or exchanging aircraft, looking for training ...