Malta has attracted easyJet as an airline that will start operating in the MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) sector of aviation, with a facility dedicated to aircraft maintenance and repair, the government said Friday.
An agreement was reached between easyJet and SR Technics, where easyJet acquired the facility from SR Technics and will retain the existing employees with additional investment in the facility in Luqa.
In the now easyJet-owned hangar, Prime Minister Robert Abela said that the Maltese government is there to support this important industry that employs about 1,500 professionals, including in the field of engineering.
He said that these Maltese workers, with quality careers and strong income for their families, also provide an added value of around €50 million to the Maltese economy.
Abela spoke of the Maltese leadership in these state-of-the-art facilities, demonstrating the strength of the aviation sector in the country with the support of several entities such as Malta Enterprise, INDIS, and Transport Malta.
He described the agreement between easyJet and SR Technics as an important step for the future of aviation and thanked SR Technics for their presence in the country, where they trained many Maltese workers.
In the 40,000 square meter hangar with an investment of more than €42 million, Abela noted how three leading European airlines now have aircraft maintenance and repair facilities in the country.
He said that these, along with other important companies, contribute to a strong ecosystem in the MRO sector.
Economy Minister Silvio Schembri said that through this agreement, the aviation industry in the country is further strengthened.
“Last year, through the work of INDIS Malta, we reopened Taxi way Lima, thereby giving MRO companies the possibility to be more competitive by being able to bring larger aircrafts into Malta,” Schembri said, adding that this investment in infrastructure aids the sector which is attracting a number of Maltese workers.
This is also being done through the collaboration between Malta Enterprise, MCAST, and the Choosing Aviation program, he said.
Schembri thanked SR Technics for the years they provided their services from Malta and easyJet for the trust they are showing in this sector.
easyJet's Chief Operating Officer David Morgan said he is satisfied with this important step by easyJet in Malta.
He said that the airline has a special connection with the facility it has now acquired and is happy to bring the existing workers into the easyJet team.
He explained that this means the airline will be employing more than four hundred people in Malta.
“We have been operating in Malta for 15 years and look forward to strengthening our presence not only with aircraft maintenance and repair operations but above all, serving our customers in Malta with connectivity in Europe,” Morgan said.