Mockups give first glimpses of new Air Malta livery due in final quarter of 2022

Aviation enthusiasts are now able to feast their eyes on what the new cost-cutting liveries set to adorn Air Malta’s fleet from the final quarter of the year will look like, courtesy of MAviO News and its partner Radiosity Alpha.

The ‘photomontages’ were first unveiled on TVAM, but shared on local aviation conference Malta Aviation Outlook (MAviO)’s social media.

The organisation gave particular credit to MAviO News Editor Marvic Bugeja and Radiosity Alpha for their work.

The livery was first announced last Friday by Air Malta executive chairman David Curmi, as part of the airline’s last-ditch cost-cutting measures intended to save it from collapse.

The change is a major simplification compared to the current livery (pictured below), involving much less of the aircraft being painted.

The change in livery comes alongside a major streamlining of the airline’s operation, with more than half of its staff to be transferred into alternative Government jobs.

Ultimately, the restructuring is a desperate attempt to pull the airline out of a financial spin stretching almost two decades.

Despite the selling off of the vast majority of the airline’s assets, including two hotels, an insurance brokerage firm and landing rights at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, the airline has continued to bleed funds.

The pandemic was an additional blow, bringing international air travel to a screeching halt, but also provided a possible respite to the airline, in the form of the controversial temporary permitting of state aid to national airlines by the European Union – subject to approval.

In Air Malta’s case, this approval has so far been elusive, with Minister Caruana earlier claiming that Malta’s application was “perhaps” being placed under extra scrutiny, with more information requested.

In his latest update though, the Minister stated that a decision on the state aid request would be provided in a matter of weeks, but that the approved figure will not be large. In this latest request to approve state aid, Malta asked the European Commission (EC) to approve €290 million in Government aid. The sum will likely be far lower. 

Ultimately, he suggested that the EC has lost its faith in the Government’s handling of its airline, due to predecessors’ repeated failure to deliver on promises. 

It is unclear whether the restructuring plan will have its desired effect and push the airline back into the black, or if the approved amount of state aid will be able to stave off bankruptcy till then.