DALLAS — Newly-formed KM Malta Airlines has been granted its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) by Malta's Civil Aviation Directorate. The new airline was created after the European Commission rejected a government request for additional state funding for the current flag carrier, Air Malta.

An air operator's certificate (AOC) is the approval granted by a civil aviation authority to an aircraft operator to allow it to use aircraft for commercial purposes. It requires the operator to have personnel, assets, and systems in place to ensure the safety of its employees and the general public. The certificate lists the aircraft types, registrations to be used, and the purpose and geographic region of use.

KM Malta Airlines will operate under AirMalta's name and focus on European destinations, connecting Malta with major capital cities in Western Europe and European airport hubs. The inaugural flight of KM Malta Airlines is scheduled for March 31.

Booking System Launch Delayed

The airline, along with announcing its license, revealed the launch of its Summer 2024 schedule and will begin accepting bookings on Monday, December 4, 2023. The system was initially launched on Friday, December 1, 2023. However, it is important to note that at the time of writing, the airline does not have any online presence, except for an inactive Facebook page.

The summer schedule will span from March 31, 2024, to October 26, 2024. The new carrier intends to serve 17 airports in 15 cities, offering 8,546 flights and 1,430,000 seats. The planned destinations include:

• Austria: Vienna Airport (VIE)
• Belgium: Brussels Airport (BRU)
• Czech Republic: Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG)
• France: Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport (LYS), Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), Paris Orly Airport (ORY)
• Germany: Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), Düsseldorf Airport (DUS), Munich Airport (MUC)
• Italy: Catania-Fontanarossa Airport (CTA), Milan Linate Airport (LIN), Rome Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport (FCO)
• Netherlands: Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS)
• Spain: Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport (MAD)
• Switzerland: Zürich Airport (ZRH)
• United Kingdom: London Gatwick Airport (LGW), London Heathrow Airport (LHR)

With its hub at Malta International Airport (MLA), the new carrier plans to start operating on the designated dates with a fleet of eight Airbus A320neo aircraft, which will be configured in a two-class setup, with 162 seats in economy class and 12 seats in business class.

Featured image: AirMalta A320 9H-AEI. Photo: Tony Bordelais/Airways