Malta airshow moves to St Paul's Bay

The 15th edition of the Malta International Airshow, organised by the Malta Aviation Society and scheduled for September 22 and 23, will this year be held in the St Paul's Bay area.

The move was mainly due to planned intensive construction at Malta International Airport in connection with the building of hangars for Lufthansa Technik in September, the president of the Malta Aviation Society, Joe Ciliberti, said.

"While the move away from the airport is being considered a temporary relocation, the success of Malta International Airshow 2007 could determine its future venue," he said.

The support received so far from the Tourism and Culture Ministry, mayor Paul Bugeja, and the St Paul's Bay Bars and Restaurants Association augured well for the organisation of "a challenging but satisfying event, not just for the St Paul's Bay community but also for the rest of the Maltese and the thousands of visitors expected to attend", Mr Ciliberti said.

A static display will still be held at Luqa's Park 4 where a number of new aircraft that have just entered military service, namely the Eurofighter Typhoon, are expected to feature, he continued.

So far, participation at the show has been confirmed by Holland, Italy, Spain, the UK and the US, while other confirmations were expected in the coming weeks.

In the last 15 years, over 1,000 aircraft took part in the Malta airshow and their crew, both air and ground, were accommodated in the St Julians area. This year, however, in line with the relocation of the air display, the crew will be staying in the Bugibba and Qawra area as a sign of gratitude and support to the local business community, Mr Ciliberti explained.

The influx of thousands of spectators at the airshow was expected to bring added business during the last summer weekend before children returned to school.

Tourism and Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech said the airshow has grown to international stature, becoming a stable part of the country's cultural calendar of events. Not only did it have a strong local following, but was also popular among foreigners and, therefore, had value added for the tourism product.