Air Malta

Air Malta is the national airline of the small island country of Malta, in the Mediterranean Sea.

Air Maltas history began on March 21, 1973, when it was created by a resolution of the Malta House of Representatives, and set up as a limited liability company on the 30th of that month. On the 29th, the airline had been provided a certificate that granted rights to operate international services from Malta. The certificate was signed by the prime minister, who granted it with the condition that Air Malta followed certain ownership rules which had been underlined by him.

Air Malta began service on April 1, 1974 , with two wet leased Boeing 720s that initially served Rome, Tripoli, London, Manchester, Frankfurt and Paris from Malta's airport.

In 1982, Air Malta signed a purchase contract with Boeing so that the North American planemaker would make three models of their Boeing 737s for Air Malta. These were the first brand new planes Air Malta ever had and were delivered early in 1983.

In 1986 Air Malta ordered two new 737's, and in 1987, it ordered its first Airbus A320 and sold the two 720's on their fleet. In 1989, Air Malta excercised an option for one more A320, and in 1992, two more 737's were ordered. That year, 4 Avro RJ 70's were ordered, to be put on such routes as Malta to Catania, Malta to Palermo International Airport and Malta to such new destinations as Tunis and Monastir.

After the opening of the New Malta International Airport in 1992, Air Malta created CargoSystems, which consists of an array of services that includes the air transportation of cargo on Air Malta planes. In 1994 Air Malta inaugurated a cargo center at the airport.

Today, Air Malta is the head of a wide variety of companies in Malta, including the Crowne Plaza Malta hotels.