A "well established" Turkish airline has been awarded an Air Operator Certificate, Transport Malta said. 

Freebird Airlines Europe will operate commercial flights within the EU with its first Maltese aircraft, an Airbus A320.

The aircraft, with the registration 9H-FHB, carrying a substantial delegation of airline officials, was in Malta for a couple of days and left Thursday morning.

Freebird Airlines Europe is part of Gözen Holding, a group of companies with firm roots in the aviation industry.

The group has airlines and branches catering for representation, surveillance, fuel, controlling, brokerage, security and training.

It has been established for the past 38 years and its six companies employ more than 2,000 individuals.

Freebird Airlines is an international charter airline established in 2000 and serves Europe and nearby regions with a fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft.

“Malta’s aviation register — the 9H — is continuously gaining momentum. We are seeing a continuous increase in the aircraft being registered in Malta, with the latest development being Freebird Airlines establishing its European arm in Malta,” Transport Minister Ian Borg said.

Freebird Airlines is expected to extend its operations in Europe and other regions, further expanding its fleet.

Haci Say, from Freebird said that, “Freebird Airlines Europe, with the professional cooperation and support of Transport Malta would like to extend its operations in Europe and other regions with its growing fleet.”

Minister Borg said that Transport Malta’s Civil Aviation Directorate had been working to continue establishing Malta as an established aviation cluster.

Freebird Europe was now among the long list of operators that had chosen Malta as their jurisdiction of choice, he said.

A few weeks ago, Transport Malta licensed Freebird as an Approved Training Organisation, providing aviation training focusing mostly on rating training for the Airbus A320, the Boeing 737, simulator flight instructor training and Type Rating Instructor training.