A total of 12 companies have applied to the Malta Civil Aviation Authority for AOC and operating licence. Among the proponents is the successor to the Austrian Eurowings Europe GmbH, which is due to be closed Maltese Eurowings Europe Ltd.

Malta's Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia announced at the Mavio industry conference that the number of aircraft registered in the smallest member state of the European Union will also increase sharply by the end of this year. According to the government member, the 12 applicants include another large airline group in addition to Eurowings Europe. Farrugia did not want to name the proponents and pointed out that the applicants would come out themselves in due course.

According to Charles Pace, head of Malta's civil aviation authority CAD, it is by no means certain that all applicants will receive AOC and operating licences. In recent years, numerous applications have had to be rejected because the legal requirements for the positive treatment of applications could not be met. There are numerous other companies or start-ups that want to become a Maltese airline, but there are currently 12 applications. Whether more will be provided is currently not foreseeable. In the aviation industry, many company founders imagine that setting up an airline would be easier and, in particular, cheaper than it actually is.

Strict oversight on Europe's 'aircraft carrier'

On the mainland there is an untrue rumor that Malta is particularly lax about AOCs and operating licenses and that pretty much any airline can play. This is definitely not true, because Maltese supervision is extremely strict and not at all squeamish when it comes to withdrawing the certificates. Many a business jet operator has had to experience this, because CAD has withdrawn some operators' AOC and operating license in recent years. Malta has one of the strictest supervisory authorities in Europe, but many people are not aware of this. 

Within ten years, the small island republic developed into a kind of European aircraft carrier. There are currently 43 AOC holders, of which 29 operate aircraft with at least 19 seats, according to Max Oldorf, Chief Commercial Officer of CH-Aviation. A decade ago there were only four companies. Oldorf also explained during the Mavio conference, held in Qawra, Malta, that no other EU member had experienced such growth over the period.

For comparison, the analyst cited Italy, where the number of certified airlines in this segment fell from 27 to 17, and Spain, which saw a decrease from 30 to 23 AOC holders. The developments are also reflected in the aviation register. Only 188 aircraft with at least 19 seats are registered in Italy. It should also be noted in this context that leased machines are usually registered in other EU countries, mainly in Ireland, due to Italian insolvency law. The “I” register therefore contains far fewer machines than are actually used by the operators.

From 12 machines to 323 within a decade

In Malta, the number of commercial aircraft with at least 19 seats has developed completely differently. Max Oldorf explained that there were once 12 machines in this category. There are now 323 pieces. More than half of the aircraft in the 9H register with at least 19 seats belong to the Ryanair Group. The country's largest airline in terms of fleet size is Malta Air, followed by its sister company Lauda Europe in second place. If all aircraft registered in Malta are taken into account, the Ryanair Group's share is 23 percent. More details can be found here in this Aviation.Direct report.

Malta Air currently has 144 aircraft on the 9H register. These are 120 Boeing 737-800 and 24 B737-Max-200. The country's second largest airline, Lauda Europe, resides in the same office space and has 29 Airbus A320s. For comparison: the state Air Malta has three Airbus A320 and four A320neo on the AOC. Malta MedAir, also owned by the state, currently has three A320s and is awaiting delivery of three A320neos.

The two Maltese airlines of the Ryanair Group are thus significantly larger than other AOC holders in this country. Oldorf also said that an average of ten to twelve machines are entered per operator. Malta Air stands out from the ranks with 144 aircraft, which can be quite risky for a small country, because the strong growth in Malta AOC holders and in the 9H register has also resulted in the CAD rapidly increasing the number of staff within ten years had to.

Maltese CAD grew strongly

No other aviation authority has recruited or poached as many staff - in all areas of the office - from other aviation authorities as the Maltese CAD. Should the Ryanair Group ever have the idea that aviation companies - for example - on Cyprus are more interesting and the two Malta subsidiaries close, CAD would have a serious problem and many jobs would be at risk. As a reminder, Ryanair accounts for more than half of commercial aircraft on the 9H register, and 23 percent of all aircraft.

This theoretical risk is only too well known to the Maltese Ministry of Transport. It is expected that Eurowings Europe will take a larger number of Airbus jets to the Maltese AOC. Another group is also in the approval process with a Malta offshoot. Given the fact that there are 12 applications and realistically about half have excellent prospects of being granted AOC and operating licence, diversification is being pursued. However, this does not prevent the Ryanair Group from putting more aircraft in the 9H register, because both Lauda Europe and Malta Air will get many more aircraft in the next few years.

The course that Malta has taken in aviation is clear and unequivocal. The aim is to continue to grow in all areas, including training, maintenance, etc., to attract additional companies and, as a result, to create jobs as a result. In view of the small size of the state - the main island of Malta is only 27 kilometers long - and the small population, you are already a kind of "aircraft carrier" in the Mediterranean. This year it will continue to grow and the signs for the next few years also point to growth. As long as the Maltese government succeeds in training enough qualified personnel locally and filling gaps by bringing in aviation specialists from abroad, there seems to be almost no limit in the medium term.