MACE aspires to create an environment of collaboration and cooperation in which aviation leaders can come together to help each other succeed, profit and thrive, according to the mission statement on the event’s official page.

With the Maltese aircraft register having exceeded 300 aircraft registrations and more than 35 airlines calling Malta home, the island nation is optimistic about becoming determining voice aviation jurisdiction of Europe.

“With a fast-growing aviation sector that is gaining momentum as we speak, Malta is well on its way to establishing itself as a hub for all things aviation. MACE is an excellent opportunity to foster healthy dialogue, collaboration and the sharing of best practices in such an important sector,” said Ian Borg, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, Government of Malta, according to the event’s website.

Minister Borg, as well as Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, will address the conference and expo, in reference to the vertical’s current sentiment in the island nation.

“Malta has been slowly but surely making a name for itself in the aviation industry; today the Maltese Aircraft Register has more than 350 aircraft listed and more airlines and leasing companies are calling this aviation-friendly jurisdiction their home,” said Charles Pace, Director-General for Civil Aviation at Transport Malta.

The list of speakers includes:

• Eamonn Brennan, Director General of Eurocontrol, will give an overview of the aviation industry,
• Captain Charles Pace, Director-General Civil Aviation Directorate at Transport Malta, will speak about the Maltese aviation cluster,
• Anita Sengupta, Chief Product Officer at Airspace Experience Technologies (ASX), will propose a possible future of urban air transport,
• James Hogan, Knighthood Capital, will focus on the financing and leasing of aircraft,
• Professor Alexei Dingli will speak about artificial intelligence (AI) and real applications of blockchain in aviation,
• Andrew Nicholson, CEO Osprey Flight Solutions, will speak about innovation in risk management,
• Diarmuid O’Conghaile, Ryanair’s Director of Public Affairs, will concentrate on the aviation industry of the future.

MACE will see the participation of Malta’s Ministry of Transport, Transport Malta’s Civil Aviation Directorate, European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) and its ‘Expanding Horizon’s Campaign’, and with the support of the Malta Business Aviation Association (MBAA).

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An airside land allocation has been assigned for Britten-Norman at the Safi Aviation Park (SAP) after discussions with the Malta Enterprise and Malta Industrial Parks. The Maltese government has additionally invested in the building of new hangars at the SAP through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) scheme.

“Malta aims to develop into a fully-fledged aviation centre that supports the entire spectrum of aviation-related services. We are committed to continuing to build a cluster of quality and Britten-Norman’s addition is a testament to the potential of our jurisdiction,” said Christian Cardona, Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Business of Malta.

The aviation cluster in Malta employed a staff of 1,409 by the end of April 2019, which represents an increase of 5.4% as compared to the same month in the previous year. The Maltese government expects the deal to support the growth of the aviation cluster further through the 14 new jobs the UK firm will create.

Britten-Norman has applied for approvals from Transport Malta’s Civil Aviation Directorate for a number of procedures, and its operations will have multiple facets, according to the press statement.

The company has also applied for an Air Training Organisation certificate, under which they will be able to train pilots in Malta, as well as for a Maintenance Training Organisation certificate for training engineers and technicians.

Britten-Norman is weighing the possibility of registering a number of its aircraft in the Malta registry and has recently entered a new three-year agreement for training of the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) pilots, according to the DOI press statement.

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“Today we are here because we can continue seeing growth in the aviation sector, another pillar of the economy which contributes to 2.5% of our country’s gross domestic product,” the minister said when visiting Transport Malta’s offices where he presented SmartLynx with their Air Operator Certificate (AOC). “We want to turn the 315 aircraft to 400 this year, and the 35 AOCs to 40. This is our plan,” minister Borg stated.

The minister acknowledged the work of the Civil Aviation Directorate within Transport Malta. The authority has recently reached a number of agreements with Japan, South Korea, Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Minister Borg added that discussions are underway toward reaching agreements with South America as well as strengthening relationships with several countries in the sector, including Brazil.

“After all this is a sector that creates more than 3,200 jobs — specialised jobs — and that is also why we will continue working to see the aviation industry grow, toward more investment, toward more connectivity and toward more jobs,” the minister said.

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