Air Malta wet-leases two Airbus aircraft

Air Malta has concluded an agreement with Etihad Airways based in Abu Dhabi to wet-lease two Airbus aircraft for the winter starting September 1.

The national airline has also concluded an agreement to provide operational support on another Airbus A320 aircraft owned by Etihad.

The two Air Malta A320 aircraft with registration 9H-AEP and 9H-AEQ will be operated by Air Malta cockpit and cabin crew.

They are expected to fly on Etihad's routes from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, to Beirut, Dammam, Karachi, Muscat, Bahrain, Cairo, Doha, Kuwait, Amman, Damascus and Tehran.

Following another agreement reached between the two airlines, another A320 aircraft recently purchased by Etihad will also be maintained by Air Malta engineers and flown by Air Malta pilots.

In a statement issued by Etihad, the airline said that it is adding the first narrow-bodied aircraft to its fleet as it expands regional flights with the aim of developing its regional network.

Etihad has a fleet of 27 wide-body aircraft and it placed a US$2.2 billion order with Airbus for 12 new wide-body aircraft in June.

The order includes four A340-600s, five A330 passenger aircraft and three A330 freighters.