MALTA • COUNTRY PROFILE
Welcome to Malta’s ‘ripple effect’
Nestling in the central Mediterranean, the island of Malta is becoming a powerhouse for business aviation. Words: Rob Hodgetts
MALTA
Welcome to Malta’s ‘ripple effect’
Nestling in the central Mediterranean, the island of Malta is becoming a powerhouse for business aviation. Words: Rob Hodgetts
COUNTRY PROFILE
MAKE A SPLASH in any part of the Mediterranean and a ripple will end up on the shores of Malta – in theory.
The island nation has benefitted from a similar “ripple effect” from aviation as aircraft operators have landed on its soil in growing numbers.
Malta’s Civil Aviation Directorate has now issued more than 50 air operator certificates (AOCs). From nearly 30 aircraft registered in 2000, there were 940 on the Maltese registry by the end of 2025, including almost 280 business jets, according to Transport Malta.
“It's been a steep climb, but a controlled one,” says Charles Pace, director general of Civil Aviation for Transport Malta (TM). “We're a pragmatic nation that basically needs to attract business to the island.
“We don't have much raw material, so the island needs to be strong when it comes to services. Setting up AOCs is part and parcel of the government’s focus, just like we have in gaming, financial services and maritime. We are not shy of business jets. We are not shamers of the industry.”
The success of Malta’s aviation industry has generated “profound and multifaceted economic benefits” for the country, positioning it as a “key player” in the global aviation landscape, wrote Kurt Sant, a senior economist with the Central Bank of Malta in a 2025 discussion paper.
Comlux was the first business jet operator in Malta when it gained an AOC in 2007. Since then, a host of private and commercial operators have ridden the wave. Malta Air, a subsidiary of Ryanair, is the largest operator followed by business aviation giant VistaJet.
“In business jets, Vista opened a big gate,” says Pace. “For the airlines, when Ryanair selected Malta, people thought: ‘If O’Leary [CEO Michael O’Leary] decided on Malta, there must be something there, whether it’s money, tax or attitude.’ That was another gate.”
Matthew Xerri, partner at Malta law firm Ganado Advocates says the nation’s focus on the operators gives it a “nice niche”.
“The registry requires the operators to have a presence in Malta, so it has created a bit of an ecosystem,” he says. “You get the first big player, they train people, competition comes in ... they ask questions, they see the benefits. It has that kind of ripple effect.”
VistaJet has made the SkyParks Business Centre at Malta International Airport the home of its global HQ.
VistaJet has made the SkyParks Business Centre at Malta International Airport the home of its global HQ.
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The attraction of Malta is threefold: legal and regulatory, including being a full member of the European Union; fiscal incentives such as competitive tax rates and reduced VAT on aircraft leasing; and “operational practicalities”, according to Guy Farnfield, MD, Hyperion Aviation. “It’s having an authority that understands the business and works with you. They treat us more as partners,” he says.
Malta’s Aircraft Registration Act of 2010 and its implementation of the Cape Town Convention (CTC) – which facilitates the efficient financing and leasing of aircraft – “changed the whole landscape,” adds Farnfield. “We aim to be a sustainable, safe operation, but with a pragmatic approach,” says Pace. “We want to be that country that says, you want an AOC? Come here, we will work with you, we'll give you attention, we’ll try to help you, if you help yourself.”
Malta’s civil aviation chief says the acquisition of AOCs is more about quality than quantity. “We will pace ourselves,” he adds. “I’d rather have six AOCs with 20 aircraft than 20 AOCs with two aircraft. You cannot just say more AOCs without more investment from our side, so we are conscious of that.”
Malta’s heritage as a British colony and its strategic location in the central Mediterranean gave it early exposure to aviation. As Malta developed into an aviation hub, it was only logical that it followed the lead of its maritime industry in becoming a leading registry, part of its push to “reinvent itself” and provide jobs for its people, according to Pace.
“Business aviation was really essential to put Malta on the map,” says Xerri. “And having a background where our commercial law is based on English law has built a very good reputation as being business friendly and good for financiers.”
According to Farnfield, the “uninhibited access” to the European aviation market is a “significant factor” in operators choosing Malta as a jurisdiction.
“Malta is a very agreeable environment for the international community to be associated with,” he says. “You are on a European-flagged aircraft and people recognise it. You are not hindered.”
But he is wary that geopolitics and stricter controls from the European Union Aviation Safety Council may act as a headwind to Malta’s trajectory.
“Malta is absolutely reliant on aviation to keep the island alive,” says Farnfield. “It is their intention to make to make it as easy as possible for airlines to fly in and out of here and the management of that.
Charles Pace, director general of Civil Aviation for Transport Malta.
Our first CJI Malta conference took place at the Corinthia St George’s Bay in June 2025.
Matthew Xerri, partner, Ganado Advocates.
“It would be a great shame if they are forced into a straitjacket that moves them away from being client-understanding and centric.”
Another headwind often spoken about is the risk of growth outstripping capacity, particularly in terms of a skilled workforce.
“The lack of personnel sometimes is because of growth rather than nobody wants to enter the business,” says Pace. “Ok, some young people prefer to work in a gaming company where you go in with your shorts and flip-flops rather than go in a uniform into a hangar or work at night. But that’s something not just in Malta, it’s all over. We are investing all the time in skills and people. Our training is expensive, but it’s done.”
Tax breaks encouraging foreign talent have also been introduced and for now a lack of personnel is “not a huge issue”, according to Xerri. But if Malta is to keep growing as an aviation hub he says a shortage of workers for both operators and the regulator could develop into a bigger problem. “It’s important it’s tackled properly.”
Pace is also mindful of the wider optics surrounding business jets and is wary of tightening regulations around issues such as fuel burn. But he is passionate about changing the narrative to one of positivity.
“We understand the way they operate and we believe they are an asset that should be encouraged,” he says.
“If you kill all the geese today, there will be no eggs for tomorrow. It is the same industry that will invest for future development. If an airline could come up with an engine that burns oxygen or water, they'd definitely go for it.” He adds: “In each business jet, there's a lot of jobs for normal people who are pilots, cabin crew, engineers, all sorts of people who are part and parcel of this organisation.
“Malta wants companies to come here. We are not shaming business jets.”
Sant concludes that sustaining Malta’s momentum will require “continued policy support, investment and institutional capacity-building”.
“Its long-term success, however, will depend on balancing continued growth with a commitment to operational sustainability in an increasingly environmentally conscious regulatory landscape,” he writes.
Malta is home to a thriving aviation industry. Nearly 950 aircraft, including almost 280 business jets, are on the Maltese Registry, according to Transport Malta.
Malta is home to a thriving aviation industry. Nearly 950 aircraft, including almost 280 business jets, are on the Maltese Registry, according to Transport Malta.
