Hub Air CEO and head of training, Francois Brocart. Photos: Chris Sant Fournier

After a pleasant landing in Malta, Hub Air is forecasting blue skies ahead as it looks to expand its operations on the island.

The international aviation academy established a presence in Malta last September and its offices at the airport will be inaugurated next month.

“We would like to have Malta as the advanced training centre, with other types of training taking place in different parts of the world,” said CEO Francois Brocart, an experienced French-Belgian pilot who founded the company in 2001.

With training centres in France and the US already, Malta was chosen primarily for its favourable climatic conditions and because English is spoken widely and fluently on the island.

Its location as a hub between Europe, Africa and the Middle East was also a plus, as were the relatively-low tax rates.

“We have been trying to see if Malta is a place to do business. It seems that it is. We have been very impressed by the Government. They have tried to open gates for us,” Mr Brocart said.

Hub Air already has a full flight simulator in Paris and it would like to set one up in Malta. This would require an investment of between €7 million and €10 million.

The company would only bring this simulator to the island if it had a solid commitment from Air Malta or other airlines that they would use Hub Air to train their pilots and perhaps also their cabin crew.

“It all depends on how the market will react or how Air Malta will react,” Mr Brocart said.

There has been no agreement with airlines as yet as Hub Air has been feeling its way in its new business environment.

“But in a few weeks we will be able to offer them something they cannot refuse,” Mr Brocart said with a Gallic half-smile.

According to the CEO, airlines can improve the quality of the service by outsourcing training to specialised companies.

If an airline can use a state-of-the-art training centre located at or near its main base, it also saves money because it does not have to send staff abroad and cover for them while they are away.

Hub Air already has two simulators at its MIA base: an AL42, which is an exact copy of the Diamond DA42 Twin Star; and an AL200, which can be used for Multi Crew Coordination training and is easily reconfigured to simulate a wide range of aircraft. Hub Air is the only academy in Malta that offers these simulators.

Mr Brocart, who first took the controls of a glider when he was just eight years old, explained that students were able to experiment freely in simulators without the fear of actually crashing.

Simulator sessions were also cheaper than actual flying sessions.

Part of Hub Air’s expansion plans in the Maltese islands are dependent on whether an airfield is built in Gozo, something Mr Brocart is confident will happen.

“We have been told [by Government officials] there will be a small airport in Gozo next year. For us it’s very important, otherwise we would consider shifting to Italy,” Mr Brocart said.

He explained that Hub Air would ideally need space for 15 to 20 planes. Currently it only has space for around five aircraft at MIA.

Last month, it was reported in these pages that the Government was considering several options to make the existing Gozo runway more accessible to ultralights in the short-term, and to flying school planes in the medium-term.

With his passion for flying evident, Mr Brocart said his company places quality above all other factors, including profits.

“If a student is obviously not up to standard we will stop their lessons and refund their money as soon as possible,” Mr Brocart said.

Hub Air has brought in a Maltese shareholder, Steve Carter, and a Libyan shareholder, Adel Ashur, who is represented by his Maltese colleague, Charlo Briffa. Together they offer new perspectives on the business, local knowledge and extensive contacts and links in Libya, where Hub Air hopes to play a role in improving the standards of airlines from its Malta base.

Anneleen Otte has been engaged as chief commercial officer to help the company spread its wings.