Air Malta sets its sights on a new hangar facility

The government is currently studying the possibility of building an all-new commercial hanger for Air Malta’s maintenance, repair, and overhaul operations, BusinessToday is informed.

Sources told this newspaper that “plans are well underway to study the initial commission of a new hangar, which will see the maintenance operation of Air Malta greatly reinforced.”

Speaking to BusinessToday, Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi lauded the efforts of the national carrier’s engineering team, while also reiterating the airline’s commitment towards having its own engineering crew.

“We will definitely continue to use our very own team of engineers,” Mizzi said.

Airline sources said that the hangar, which was previously used by the Royal Air Force then handed down to Air Malta after the departure of the British, currently lies in a terrible state. At the same time, the sources said that the construction of a new hangar had been promised for quite a while.

“It’s been a long time coming. I remember, some six or seven years ago, a self-commissioned report had concluded that the condition of the hangar was such that it was beyond repair, from a financial feasibility point of view. Evidently, the hangar is not up to the standards of other maintenance and repair facilities (MROs) in Malta and abroad,” expressed the source.

From Luqa to Mumbai on an Airbus A321?

Asked if the airline’s quest to touch down in places like Mumbai or New York required a new fleet of jumbo jets, minister Mizzi was quick to point out that the aviation industry was continuously changing.

“We want to keep a homogenous fleet of Airbus A320 and A321, which will, in essence, help us reduce costs and at the same time reach our goals,” he underlined.

Mizzi explained that with the latest developments on Airbus A321 variants, a long-haul flight was definitely possible. “With an extra fuel tank, the new Airbus A321 has an extended long range capability. We will never be able to afford an A380 or A330, but the A321 is manageable.”

According to Reuters, Airbus should launch the updated version of its best-selling narrow-body aircraft by mid-2019. As the corporation’s response to middle of the market aircraft competition, the A321XLR is expected to be able to travel as maximum of 9,260 kilometers, enough to connect Central Europe to the United States’ east coast.

Swiss-based Chinese owned SR Technics to get a new 30,000 sq.m hangar

Both Swiss-based SR Technics and German giant Lufthansa Technik are currently in line to develop or update their hangars.

Just this week an agreement was signed between SR Technics and the Maltese government which will see the construction of a new 30,000 sq.m multi-bay hangar facility.

The hangar, which will be suitable for both narrow and wide-body aircraft at Malta International Airport,  will also include large workshop areas. This development will enable SR Technics to increase its capacity to up to six narrow-body aircraft at once for maintenance such as C-checks, modifications, and retrofits.

In his speech, Economy Minister Chris Cardona insisted that the government is ambitious and keen to reach higher and wider goals and sees MROs as a first crucial step towards grasping wider opportunities in the aviation industry.

“We fully appreciate that the speed at which the industry is growing poses challenges, particularly in regard to human resource needs and safety and congestion. Significant investment will be needed in all areas of aviation to ensure it will be ready to meet long-term demands,” Cardona said.