The Malta Civil Aviation Register will be developed next year and could evolve into an important sector for the economy in the same way the shipping industry had, Transport Minister Austin Gatt said yesterday.

This would lead to job creation and substantial revenue for stakeholders, especially through taxation. It would also necessitate major changes in the structure of the Civil Aviation Department, intermediary certification and legislation.

The minister made his comments when he presented an air operations certificate to Swiss company Comlux Aviation, which has chosen Malta as its base for private charters.

It has registered two aircraft in Malta and intends to register more in the future. Comlux Aviation offers services to VIP customers including charter operations and the management of private aircraft. It has already employed six people in Malta.

Dr Gatt said Comlux Aviation's presence should attract new operators in the aviation sector.

The president and CEO of Comflux, Richard Gaona, said Malta was chosen because of its strategic location, its high standards of regulation and also because of its seriousness and expertise in aircraft maintenance and other services such as banking and legal support.

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