Experienced pilot appointed new Air Malta chief executive officer
Captain Clifford Chetcuti has been appointed as Air Malta’s new chief executive officer, with effect from 1 September 2018.
Capt. Chetcuti will join Air Malta as CEO reporting to the chairman and board of directors.
“He will be using his expertise to focus on the improvement of efficiencies in Air Malta’s organisational structure and its brand image, ensuring it is prepared to become the Airline of the Mediterranean,” the airline said.
Capt. Chetcuti has vast experience in the aviation industry, particularly in-flight operations, training and aviation practices. During his time abroad, he was instrumental in successfully developing operational areas with Emirates and Qatar Airways.
Clifford Chetcuti started his career in aviation as a cadet pilot with Air Malta in 1987. He completed his training at Air Service Training in Perth, Scotland, where he was the recipient of the Principals Award as Pilot of the Year 1988.
He joined Emirates in 1994 and was promoted to captain in 1999. His career path saw him progress through various managerial roles within the company. He was a captain on the Emirates inaugural A380 flight from Dubai to New York in August 2008.
He left Emirates in 2016 to join Qatar Airways, initially as a consultant on organisational and operational aspects of the Flight Training Department.
Subsequently he was appointed to the posts of Flight Training vice-president and head of the Approved Training Organisation, managing more than 4,000 pilots as Nominated Person for Flight Training.
He was the director of the Deployed Response Group, responsible for the overall management of the Incident Management Centre for Qatar Airways, and member of the Qatar Airways Group Safety and Security Committee.
“Clifford’s strength is his influencing leadership style that empowers his team to deliver results. His broad experience in management of change focuses on establishing sound processes which deliver pragmatic and efficient organisational outcomes,” Air Malta said.
He has flown the Boeing 737, Airbus A300, A310, A320, A330, A340, A350 and A380 and has more than 15,000 hours of flying experience, gaining a vast understanding of the Airbus systems and philosophies.
Born in Malta, Clifford received his education at Saint Aloysius College and the University of Malta, where he interrupted his B.Mech Eng programme to join the Air Malta cadet pilot programme. Clifford is married to Natalie and has two children.
Capt. Chetcuti replaces Joseph Galea, who has occupied the position of acting CEO of the national airline since 2016. Mr Galea joined Air Malta in August 2014 as deputy chief commercial officer but was given the post of acting CEO in August 2016, at a time when the airline was in discussions with Alitalia on a possible strategic partnership.
Galea has held the post for the last two years, with the airline experiencing a period of growth in recent months and looking at a possible break-even by the the end March 2018. Galea’s contract ends in August and he has informed the airline that he has decided to branch out into tourism consultancy, taking advantage of his 30 years’ experience in international tourism marketing.
Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi has said: “I am confident that together with chairman Charles Mangion, Capt. Clifford Chetcuti will lead Air Malta in its strategic direction to position itself as ‘the Airline of the Mediterranean’ and enhance its commercial and operational performance to achieve the government’s growth strategy for the airline.”