Air Malta’s newest addition to the fleet arrived in Malta and will soon be put into service on Air Malta’s network, the national carrier said in a statement.

The Airbus A320 aircraft has been reconfigured to Air Malta specifications including the painting of the complex Maltese Airline livery. Etihad Airways Engineering applied Air Malta livery to the aircraft in its dedicated paint hangar at its Abu Dhabi facility.

The complex livery change required strong expertise and experience in applying multilayered designs to the fuselage, Air Malta said in a statement.

Air Malta’s intricate livery was successfully applied by the proficient team of Etihad Airways Engineering using stencils, masks, and different grades and layers of paint. The project, which included a large number of component changes and cabin reconfiguration to meet Air Malta’s criteria, also involved a 6-year heavy maintenance check.

Air Malta’s Chairman Charles Mangion said, “We have started operating our Summer schedule that sees us fly to no less than 17 new routes, three of which are flights between European cities not involving Malta. This aircraft will give us additional flexibility in operating these routes and the over 4,000 additional flights we are planning to operate this year. Air Malta’s Management, together with the Board of Directors are working hard to keep our commitment to strengthen the National Airline and the fact that we are increasing our routes, frequencies, flights and are bringing in additional aircraft are clear signs of this.

This growth strategy is not only beneficial to the airline but to our country at large.” Abdul Khaliq Saeed, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways Engineering, said, “Etihad Airways Engineering has a formidable track record in delivering a wide range of end of lease projects for airline operators from across the world. We have the expertise and experience to effectively manage and deliver end of lease projects involving heavy maintenance, cabin reconfiguration, structural modifications and new livery application to meet the requirements of our customers and their respective regulators.”

Etihad Airways Engineering Aircraft hangars facilities cover approximately 42,000 sq metres, including 10,000 sq metres of aircraft painting facilities and a custom-designed hangar that can accommodate up to three Airbus A380 aircraft simultaneously.