• 

  Wizz Air

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  W6/WZZ

  Airline Type:

  Ultra-Low-Cost Carrier

  Year Founded:

  2003

  CEO:

  József Váradi

  Country:

  Hungary

Wizz Air Malta, the new venture from Hungarian budget carrier Wizz Air, has been granted its air operator's certificate and operating license before launching operations this week.

Wizz Air Malta ready to launch

Wizz Air's new Maltese subsidiary is cleared for take-off after receiving its air operator's certificate (AOC) from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and its operating license from the Malta Civil Aviation Directorate (CAD).

Wizz Air President Robert Carey said,

"We are pleased to announce the establishment of Wizz Air Malta, which will provide opportunities to further diversify our operations and drive growth. Malta’s economic and regulatory regime will enable Wizz Air to strengthen its position in the global market. We would like to thank EASA and the Maltese CAA for their support and expertise, and we look forward to working with both regulators and the Maltese government over the coming years."

Wizz Air recently revealed that Diarmuid Ó Conghaile will become the Managing Director of Wizz Air Malta from November 1st, while the rest of its management team will also be locally based. Additionally, the new carrier plans to hire its cabin crew teams from Albania, Austria, Italy and Romania.

Check out all the latest European aviation news here

First flight this week

Wizz Air Malta will operate its inaugural flight on Tuesday with a flight from Rome Fiumicino Airport to Malta International Airport.

In May, Simple Flying reported on Wizz Air's plans to launch a new airline in Malta, noting Malta's appealing tax structure and low aircraft registration costs. For more insight into why the country is so popular with airlines, check out Simple Flying's piece on why there are so many airlines registered in Malta.

Jesper Rasmussen, Flight Standards Director at the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, added,

"Wizz Air Malta exemplifies the increasing pan-European dimension of the airline industry: capitalizing on the diversity, technological advancement and potential that the European common aviation market brings. EASA has certified Wizz Air Malta, on behalf of Malta, after scrutinizing its full compliance with all applicable safety standards."

Wizz Air has established multiple subsidiary carriers over the years with varying degrees of success. While the airline's UK and Abu Dhabi offshoots have proven a hit, forays into Bulgaria, Ukraine and Romania were not so successful.

Discover more aviation news with Simple Flying.

First A321neo arrives

The airline welcomed its first aircraft following the arrival of an Airbus A321neo this week. The aircraft (registration: 9H-WAM) was delivered to Wizz Air in May 2021 and was formerly registered as HA-LVS.

Wizz Air plans to place up to 78 aircraft with its new Maltese entity by the summer of 2023. The Hungarian airline, which actually consists of three (now four) airlines, currently boasts a fleet of 166 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft.

With over 300 aircraft already on order, Wizz recently confirmed an order for 75 more Airbus A321neos as its aggressive fleet expansion continues apace.

Dr Aaron Farrugia, Malta's Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, said,

"We are expecting Wizz Air Malta to register a substantial number of aircraft in our country, further increasing our already strong 9H fleet. Malta will continue to support investors who choose Malta as their jurisdiction for the benefit of this very important industry, and ultimately for the strength of our economy."

Do you see Wizz Air Malta proving a success? Do you have any trips with the new airline coming up? Let us know in the comments.