Air Malta (Malta International) is evaluating adding A220s for regional routes too thin to operate with the carrier's existing fleet of Airbus narrowbodies, the Blue Swan Daily has reported.
"We are looking at the A220 for operation on shorter distances to develop a concept of Air Malta as the airline of the Mediterranean. The A220s offer the opportunity for short-haul flying over one hour and one hour and a half. You can do it more frequently, connecting an island to the mainline," Chairman Charles Mangion said.
The airline has yet to settle on a specific business plan for the A220s and has not yet decided whether it would be interested in A220-100s or A220-300s.
According to the ch-aviation fleets module, Air Malta currently operates one A319-100, seven A320-200s (of which one is wet-leased from the carrier's fully owned technical partner Malta MedAir), and one A320-200neo.
Air Malta plans to take a further two A320-200neo in the first half of 2019 and complete the replacement of the ceo aircraft by 2022 at the latest.
The former Acting CEO Joseph Galea told ch-aviation in June 2018 already that Air Malta was eyeing regional jets and planning growth within the wider Mediterranean basin, not just from and to Malta International but also at other bases.
