Ryanair hopes to expand its presence in Malta with the transaction and access non-European Union markets — such as North Africa — from Malta.

Following the transaction, Ryanair will switch six Malta-based aircraft — worth over $600m (€530m+) — to the Maltese register, move a crew of 200 under the Maltese jurisdiction on contract hence paying taxes in the island nation, create over 350 jobs and brand its Malta-based fleet with Malta Air livery as of the summer of 2020.

As a second step, Ryanair will also move aircraft from France, Italy and Germany onto the Malta AOC, hoping to raise the number of aircraft based in Malta to ten in the upcoming three years. Ryanair expects this to allow crews to pay their income taxes locally in France, Italy and Germany instead of Ireland where they are currently required to pay income taxes under Ryanair’s Irish AOC.

“Ryanair is pleased to welcome Malta Air to the Ryanair Group of airlines which now includes Buzz (Poland), Lauda (Austria), Malta Air, and Ryanair (Ireland),” said Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary today, speaking in Malta.

Connecting Europe

The CEO also praised the partnership with the Malta Tourism Authority, which “will help drive forward the vision of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and tourism minister Konrad Mizzi to grow year-round connections to all corners of Europe which will support increased tourism, business and jobs in Malta,” Mr O’Leary said.

“Ryanair appreciates the expertise of the Maltese Civil Aviation Directorate (CAD) in licencing Malta Air to operate the B737 aircraft and we look forward to working closely with the Maltese authorities over the coming years as we hope to add over 50 more aircraft to the Maltese register,” the Ryanair CEO added.

“The relationship between Ryanair and Malta has evolved into a successful collaboration. We welcome Ryanair’s commitment to operate and grow a fully fledged Malta-based airline which will contribute in a large way to the country’s development,” Malta’s Minister for Tourism Konrad Mizzi said.

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The recently announced investment includes 15 newly-acquired Kone Rubber-Tyred Gantry Cranes (RTGs), as well as other yard equipment including 67 new tractors and trailers. The new cranes come as an addition to another 50 already in use, the new ones being provided by manufacturer KCI Kone Cranes. The freeport says the new equipment is faster and safer.

“This investment comes at a time when the Terminals are operating at elevated capacity in a difficult and highly competitive environment,” said Alex Montebello, CEO at Malta Freeport Terminals, during the press conference announcing the new investment. “Despite these challenges, the Freeport once again broke records again in terms of throughput in 2018, handling 3.31 million TEU containers. This is also thanks to the dedication of our committed personnel – without whom the results we’ve registered would not have been possible,” he added.

The CEO also tagged the current investment as a catalyst for further growth. “Since we are already operating at high capacity, the next step is to ensure our terminals are able to accommodate four million containers. We are seeking to achieve this objective in a number of ways, including extending the Terminal Two North Quay which is currently at tendering stage,” he added.

Minister for Tourism Konrad Mizzi, who also attended the press conference announcing the investment, acknowledged the importance of the freeport concerning the economy and competitiveness of Malta. Mr Mizzi noted that the current financing is also good for nearby town Birzebugga, as noise levels will drop and the quality of air will improve. The tourism minister also explained about the energy efficiency and low-emission operations of the new equipment.

The Freeport currently handles 20 weekly mainline services, providing network links to 130 ports around the world, and received more than 2,200 vessels over the past 12 months, according to the press statement.

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