The Maltese start-up Valletta Airlines was granted AOC and operating license by the local civil aviation authority at the end of last week. The company is a spin-off of the Cypriot Air Valletta Group, which is unrelated to a possible successor to Air Malta.

The first aircraft to be registered on the new AOC is the Airbus A320 with aviation registration number 9H-NZL. The 18-year-old medium-haul jet was last used by Heston Airlines. Originally, the machine was delivered to the low-cost airline Vueling. Officially, Heston has no stake in Valletta Airlines, but has provided certain services.

Initially, the new company wants to get into the ACMI and charter business. The focus will be on North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Far East Asia. Valletta Airlines will initially operate as a single aircraft operation. The fleet is to be expanded accordingly at a later date.

“The ACMI and charter market is recovering, driving demand for new aircraft as more airlines seek to expand capacity to accommodate rising passenger numbers. Valletta Airlines is expected to capitalize on the current market situation and provide services to airlines and tour operators to increase capacity without straining financially,” said the founders of Valletta Airlines. The recently received AOC bears the number MT-74.