An Air Malta Airbus A320 has joined a Chilean airline on a two-month lease.
Air Malta said SKY Airline of Chile is operating the aircraft under the third wet lease agreement between both airlines since 2007.
The aircraft left Malta at the beginning of the month and returns after the first week of March in time for the airline’s summer operation.
The A320 aircraft with registration 9H-AEN will be operated by Air Malta cockpit crew and maintained by Air Malta engineers. A number of Air Malta training pursers have also been sent over to Chile to give the necessary training to SKY Airlines cabin crew. The pilots deployed with this aircraft have been given specialised training to be able to operate an aircraft in South America and across the Andes.
Through this agreement, Air Malta said, it had managed to lease out its excess winter capacity whilst generating additional revenue for the airline. This agreement will also cover all the costs related to the aircraft as well as those of the Air Malta employees that are currently based in Chile.
In the past, Air Malta wet-leased its aircraft to other foreign operators including Etihad Airways.
The aircraft left Malta on January3 at 4.30 a.m. and landed in Santiago Airport in Chile on the same day at 8.10 p.m. hours Chile time – a journey that lasted nearly 20 hours.
After leaving Malta the aircraft made its first stop at Sal Airport on Cape Verde Islands off the west African coast. Then it crossed the Atlantic, landing in Salvador de Bahia in Brazil from where it proceeded to Chile.
The first commercial flight with SKY Airline took off from Santiago four days later, flying to Maldonado in Uruguay and back. The aircraft is expected to fly between Chile and Uruguay and Chile and Brazil.
SKY Airline is a Chilean airline providing passenger, mail and cargo air transportation services since 2001. Originally it started operating in the Caribbean but in June 2002, SKY moved to Chile flying from its base in Santiago to the main cities in the region. It currently owns a fleet of 13 Boeing 737-200 advanced aircraft and three Airbus A320.