The civil aviation authorities have been asked by Brussels to ensure the operating licence granted to Medavia is still in line with EU rules, Times of Malta was told.
Brussels has asked the government to provide it with details on the licence granted to Medavia – Mediterranean Aviation Company Limited – which operates from Malta and provides aviation services to Tripoli and other areas in the Libyan desert.
Civil aviation industry sources told this newspaper it was not clear whether recent changes in the company’s shareholding and board members were in line with EU regulations governing the granting of operating licence to air services companies.
According to EU rules, operating licences can only be granted where “member states and/or nationals of member states own more than 50 per cent of the undertaking and effectively control it, whether directly or indirectly through one or more intermediate undertakings, except as provided for in an agreement with a third country to which the Community is a party”.
Operating licences can only be granted where member states and/or nationals of member states own more than 50 per cent of the undertaking
The burden to ensure that EU laws are being observed in this case falls on Transport Malta’s Directorate of Civil Aviation.
The sources said the Commission informed the government it had information that Medavia belonged to Lafico, the Libyan Foreign Investment Company. Lafico, in turn is co-owned by two subsidiary companies of Lafico: Lafico Libya (49 per cent) and Lafitrade (51 per cent).
Brussels also pointed out that Medavia’s board of directors was composed of six Libyan members and only one Maltese (EU) national.
When contacted about the problems raised by the European Commission about Medavia, a government spokesman asked this newspaper to specify what problems the Times of Malta was asking about. It was pointed out that the questions referred to the operating licence but no replies were forthcoming by the time of writing.
Questions sent to Medavia, which employs about 150 employees at its headquarters in Gudja, also remained unanswered.
Medavia has been operating in Malta since 1979, mainly running ad hoc charter flights and long-term leases in North Africa supporting the oil industry. It also provides air services to VIPs.
Air Malta used to have a shareholding until 2011, however, the national air carrier had sold its shares to Lafico.
Following the overthrow of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the company was involved in ownership battles among rival political groups involved in the administration of the company.
The company had played a pivotal role in the civil war in the North African country and was crucial in ferrying wounded Libyans to get medical attention in Malta.
One of its aircraft was damaged during the unrest in Tripoli and top officials, including its then managing director, Abdulrazagh Zmirli, and technical manager, Abdella Dekna, were taken in custody over allegations of supporting the Gaddafi regime. Both were later released without any charges.
ivan.camilleri@timesofmalta.com