The Malta Aviation register welcomes its first A380 Aircraft
Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Ian Borg visited Aviation Cosmetics on the occasion of the Malta Aviation Register’s first A380 Aircraft, operated by Hi Fly. This comes on the eve of the showcasing of the Airbus A380 at Farnborough Airshow 2018 and will also be the showcase for the new air livery representing marine conservation.
The aircraft will be operated by Hi Fly, which 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 sixth aircraft being the A380, under the 9H-register.
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. Aviation Cosmetics is one of the few aircraft painting facilities around the world. 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.
In his address, the minister 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 frame- work 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.
Dr 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 fourth 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.
The minister also made reference to the effective cluster collaboration of Maltabased aviation companies, providing services to each other in an efficient and effective manner. Here, he expressed his pride in see- ing that Aviation Cosmetics has chosen Malta for such an activity, further proving the trust that the aviation industry has in government.
The minister commended Hi Fly CEO Mirpuri for the great initiative of setting up the Mirpuri Foundation, which is working in favour of this important cause, while thanking Hi Fly for believing in our country’s aviation directorate. He also praised Aviation Cosmetics for the good service they provide which enhances the country’s aviation service sector. He also expressed his thanks to the Civil Aviation Directorate, which has continuously worked on its ambitious and noble goal to grow the register in terms of both quality and quantity.
The minister concluded by reiterating government’s commitment towards the further development of our aviation cluster. “I, as minister responsible for this important industry, am committed to continue supporting it and will strive to ensure that our country will continue giving the same confidence to this industry as it has done to date,” Minister Borg said.
“We welcome the arrival of the Airbus A380 in our fleet and we are extremely happy with the market reaction so far on this new availability in our wet lease product offering. The A380, besides being the largest and most comfortable airliner in the world, is a star and the preferred aircraft from a customer experience perspective, including double first class suites, lounges, extra-large business class seats and individual IFE at each ergonomic economy seat. Most importantly for Hi Fly, the A380 minimises environmental impact thanks to its reduced fuel burn that generates the lowest carbon footprint per seat for aircraft in its category. Sustainability is a top management ongoing concern and we want to continue our growth path in a responsible way, protecting our future generations,” said Mirpuri.
Aviation Cosmetics managing director Tom Jansen said that “today is another important milestone for Aviation Cosmetics Malta and for the Maltese aviation sector. 9H-MIP will always have a special place in the history of our company. Special thanks and appreciation go to Hi Fly who have entrusted us with such an important project and to the Civil Aviation Directorate within Transport Malta for their continuous support. Last but not least, I am proud of all my employees at Aviation Cosmetics Malta, who have worked with such enthusiasm and dedication to make this project a huge success”.