Malta International Airport: Difference between revisions

The most important airline at MLA is obviously [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?airlinesearch=Air+Malta Air Malta,] which operates a  fleet of Airbus A319s and A320s plus two Boeing 737s (which will eventually be phased out). However it is not the only local operator. British Jet - a Maltese airline, name notwithstanding - operates a single [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?airlinesearch=BritishJet%20%28Hello%29&distinct_entry=true MD-90] on flights to various UK destinations. Another company, European 2000 Airlines, operates a pair of [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?id=0948523,0919275 Fairchild Metros] which can often be seen in Park 3 when not in use. There are two flying schools which contribute to a fairly lively general aviation scene. Also based at MLA is the [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?airlinesearch=Malta+-+Air+Force Armed Forces of Malta Air Wing] which operates a mix of helicopters and light aircraft.  

MLA hosts two maintenance and repair facilities. The Lufthansa Technik Malta plant, located in the airport grounds, carries out C checks on Airbus and Boeing narrowbodies and will also provide C and D checks on Airbus widebodies as from 2008 once a new hangar is built for the purpose. Next to the airport on the Safi side (across the road from the Spotters' Wall), the Medavia/NCA complex carries out maintenance work on smaller aircraft. [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?airlinesearch=Medavia Medavia] operates its own small fleet of turboprops, mostly on ferry work to and from North Africa.

Foreign airlines which fly to Malta throughout the year include British Airways, Alitalia, Lufthansa, Emirates, Ryanair, Tuninter, Thomas Cook and Thomsonfly. BA flights are operated by GB Airways flying in BA livery. In summer traffic increases considerably. Airlines which operate seasonal Malta routes constitute an ever-varying collection but normally include Austrian Airlines, SAS, Sterling, Finnair, Spanair, Atlant-Soyuz, My Travel and First Choice. As already mentioned, the best bet for the overseas visitor is to consult the flight schedules on the MLA website. Aircraft types used include Airbus narrowbodies, A330s (mostly Emirates), Boeing 737s and 757s, and ATR turboprops. In summer the list expands to include B767s, MD-80s, Tu-154s and even B777s. Occasional visitors, particularly in summer, can include anything from military aircraft in transit to chartered 747s.