Maltese-headquartered aviation business AirX has been awarded an EASA Part 145 approval certificate to maintain its expanding fleet. This certificate, issued by Transport Malta, allows the company to perform line maintainance on the Airbus A340, Boeing 737 and Embraer ERJ-190/Lineage 1000. The approval follows the recent addition of the Lineage to AirX Jet Support's MRO capabilities at its London Luton facility.

The company's roster now stands at 21 aircraft across six types, with two aircraft under management in the US. The newest member of the family is a Lineage 1000 which can carry up to 19 people and has recently returned from a longer than expected block charter in Asia. The company expects further fleet additions as well as increased investment in Malta.

CEO Houssam Hazzoury says: “Malta is an enviable strategic location to maintain aircraft, and as our fleet continues to expand, we hope to grow our base maintenance facilities on the Island. Transport Malta has been instrumental in our decision to further invest. It has been willing to help assist us in our growth and, more importantly, make the process more streamlined.”

AirX Charter has also been awarded IS-BAO Stage II certification following an in-depth three day audit and aircraft inspection carried out in February 2019. Ten findings were raised.

The programme centres on the safety management system and leads the operator from establishing principles, to achieving an effective SMS, and eventually attaining a risk-averse, generative safety culture. Audits ensure conformance with the standards and recommended practices. The registration certificate issued upon successful completion of an audit serves as proof of conformance to key ICAO standards.

Safety and compliance monitoring manager Mark Cuschieri states: “There are many benefits associated with IS-BAO Stage II approval, from reduced insurance rates to enhanced operational safety. More importantly it offers customers peace of mind that we are continuingly striving to ensure that the strictest safety standards are applied across our organisation and fleet.”

More than 700 business aviation operators in 35 countries are currently IS-BAO registered and continue to improve their safety risk profile, operating effectiveness and efficiency. The main benefit to customers is peace of mind that AirX Charter ensures the highest standards of safety throughout the organisation.