Malta Aviation Register welcomes its first A380 Aircraft
Transport Minister Ian Borg this week visited Aviation Cosmetics on the occasion of the Malta Aviation Register’s first A380 Aircraft, operated by Hi Fly.
The aircraft will be showcased at the Farnborough Airshow, and will also be the showcase for the new air livery representing marine conservation.
Hi Fly is a leading widebody aircraft wet lease specialist operating worldwide and has become a go-to organisation for airlines which need additional capacity to cover their short and medium-term or seasonal needs. An increasing number of governments are adhering to wet lease as a reliable, safe and efficient source of transportation for officials. Over the past three years, Hi Fly has successfully registered an A330, four A340s and this month, its 6th aircraft being the A380, under the 9Hregister.
The aircraft was unveiled with a new air livery representing marine conservation, which is one of the main aims of the Mirpuri Foundation. The Mirpuri Foundation, incorporated by the Mirpuri family as a non-profit organisation, was established by Paulo Mirpuri (President and CEO of Hi Fly) with the aim of contributing to a better world.
Based on a commitment to make the world a better place for future generations, the foundation allocates its resources and intelligence where they are most needed. By fostering a spirit of collaboration between global authorities, companies, communities and individuals, it aims to positively impact the most pressing issues threatening our planet.
The air livery of the aircraft was done by Aviation Cosmetics, a company with over 20 years of experience in the painting of aircraft and which has been operating in our country for the past 18 months. The facility in Malta is a dedicated aircraft paint shop, servicing aircraft models of all makes and models, including the largest passenger aircraft in the world, the A380—one of the few aircraft painting facilities around the world.
Minister Borg spoke about Malta’s robust aviation industry and said that the country is steadily building up the number of registered aircraft under the Maltese register. He attributed this ongoing success to a number of factors, including the Aircraft Registration Act and its subsequent amendments – which was crucial in allowing our country to develop itself into an aviation hub, setting a strong yet flexible legal framework and thus positioning Malta as an attractive jurisdiction for aircraft registration. The Minister stated that Malta is now also becoming a leader in a broad range of supporting aviation services.
Ian Borg described the said occasion as proof of this success, as this important aircraft brings the number of 9H-registered aircraft to over 280, adding that a great honour also comes with the fact that Hi Fly will become the 4th European airline to operate this model as well as the 14th global operator and first wet lease airline to fly this aircraft—all facts that add value to our aviation portfolio.