Airx seeks stronger commercial ties with Malta

AirX, the private air charter company that has set up its head office in Malta earlier this year, is seeking to establish stronger and deeper commercial ties with Malta over the next years.

AirX, the private air charter company that has set up its head office in Malta earlier this year, is seeking to establish stronger and deeper commercial ties with Malta over the next years.

Group chairman, John B. Matthews described the first six months of operations in Malta as “highly successful and very rewarding”. He was addressing a press conference on recently marking the arrival of the Royal Airforce Red Arrows team in Malta for their participation in the airX Malta International Airshow 2013.

The press conference, held at the airshow site, was also addressed by Joe Ciliberti, president of the Malta Aviation Society and Philip Saun- ders, Air Malta Chief Operations Officer in the presence of the RAF Red Arrows Team.

“Airshows around the world are feeling the pinch of an economic downturn and the organisers are struggling to maintain the high standards and attractiveness of recent years. AirX felt the need to step in as Title Partners of the Malta airshow to ensure that this annual event continues providing the best possible entertainment to thousands of Maltese families,” explained Mr Matthews.

As a private air charter company, AirX provides luxury private charter flights across Europe to clients who most regularly include A-list celebrities, ranging from movie stars to pop artists, members of royal families, top corporate executives and government ministers.

The company currently employs about 70 people, including Maltese cabin crew and back office staff, and has plans to increase its workforce as it continues to grow. AirX has already announced plans to increase the number of aircraft registered in Malta from 33% to 50%.

Mr Matthews said that following the successful relocation of its headquarters to Malta, AirX is already looking at new opportunities that may come to fruition through vertical integration in the aviation sector, including an apprenticeship scheme for Maltese young students and more support for flying schools in Malta.

AirX holds an air operator’s certificate from the Civil Aviation Department of Transport Malta. An AOC is the approval granted by a regulatory authority, in this case Transport Malta, to an aircraft operator that allows it to use aircraft for commercial purposes. The general requirements for obtaining an AOC include an adequate number of personnel, certified assets under management and systems in place to ensure the safety of its employees, passengers and the general public.

At the moment, the AirX fleet includes two Bombardier Challenger 850, two Embraer Legacy 600 and two Cessna Citation.