Farewell Air Malta, Welcome KM Malta Airlines
On March 30, 2024, Air Malta, Malta’s national airline, ended its operations. However, just a few hours later, a new airline emerged: KM Malta Airlines.
Photo Source: https://djsaviation.net/
Established in 1974 and based at Luqa Airport, Air Malta served as the island’s flag carrier, connecting Europe and North Africa. At the time of its closure, its fleet included seven aircraft: one Airbus A320-200 and six A320neos. These planes have now been transitioned to KM Malta Airlines.
The primary reason for Air Malta’s shutdown was to navigate around EU regulations that prevented further public funding bailouts. By closing Air Malta, the Maltese government effectively rebooted with KM Malta Airlines, sidestepping bureaucratic constraints.
This transition, seen by some as a clever workaround of EU regulations, means KM Malta Airlines will operate with the same aircraft and staff, maintain the same route network, and use the same IATA code (KM). The significant change is the callsign, which shifts from “Air Malta” to “Sky Night,” allowing the new airline to receive government funding without restrictions.
KM Malta Airlines continues to have codesharing agreements with Air France, KLM, and Lufthansa. This shift was anticipated for some time, as KM Malta Airlines received its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) from Maltese regulators in December last year and began accepting bookings shortly after, although it did not commence flights until the official transition yesterday.
The summer 2024 schedule for KM Malta Airlines includes destinations such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Catania, Düsseldorf, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Lyon, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris Orly, Prague, Rome, Vienna, and Zurich.
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