A €17 million aviation park spanning over 200,000 square metres is being built at Safi as part of preparations for SR Technics to start its aircraft maintenance operations from Malta in August.

Architect David Xuereb said that the aviation park will initially host Medavia, which will be moving from its current facilities in Safi.

The hangar currently being used by Medavia will be used at SR Technics for the next three years until its own facilities are built next to Lufthansa Technik's at Gate 4.

Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said that Malta had attracted two of the largest companies in aviation maintenance – Lufthansa Technik and SR Technics.

The aviation park would enable Malta to attract more companies which did this kind of work, even on a smaller scale, as well as those companies involved in other aspects of aircraft maintenance. Some companies had already expressed an interest in offering ancillary services.

The project, the minister said, had to be concluded by July since SR Technics first aircraft was due in for maintenance in September.

The road currently leading to Safi is going to be permanently closed and entrance to the village will be from a taxiway on the outside of Medavia, which is being turned into a road.

Part of the AFM compound will also be relocated.