Next Travel movement January/February 2019

First two flights starting tomorrow I'll be heading to Dublin, Ireland as I've turned 28 years old recently, this is a late birthday trip & second time I've visited Ireland since 2014. Their will be Full Flight videos on them & only one flight report.

Second for that month I'll be heading to Berlin Schönefeld, Germany however this will be outside aviation world. This is because my friend in the UK is getting married in March so for the main reason why I'm going to Germany we're going on a Stag Do for couple of days & head home afterwards so this will be a very short trip. In relation for the flight, their will be no Full Flight Video with group of 13 people on this trip so their will only be a Flight Report instead if possible.

And that's the flights for early this year. During late Winter in March will be unknown due to Brexit I have a blog ready on standby encase of any changes. 

Aviation in Malta January 2019

We now continue with foreign visitors in Malta International Airport between 3rd - 9th January. This is not going to be separate parts because during the Winter Season in Malta is not busy than the Summer months.

EasyJet G-UZHF Airbus A320neo delivered in 2018 taken 3rd January 2019.

EasyJet seen on short final runway 31 from London Gatwick, UK with the Neo on the fuselage. Since the Airbus A320neo was launched with low-cost with EasyJet, they do come to Malta often before Air Malta had their first Neo.

Air Malta 9H-AEJ Airbus A319 delivered in 2004 taken 3rd January 2019.

Speaking of Air Malta, this could be my last shot of 9H-AEJ the last Airbus A319 in the Air Malta fleet I said a million times. "Juliet" is due to be withdrawn this year with more arrivals to the Air Malta fleet to replace "Juliet" as we know "Remeo" 9H-AHR is gone. If Juliet is gone when I took this outstanding short final approach, then this could be goodbye. 

Kuwait Air Force KAF 326 Lockheed Martin KC-130J Hercules taken 6th January 2019.

We had two Kuwait Air Force arriving to Malta on transit (re-fuel) before continuing to it's final destination I can't remember where. Anyway the two Lockheed Martin's C-130 Hercules arrived from Kuwait City, Kuwait during the late afternoon. 

Travel Service Poland OK-GBB Airbus A330-200  new to JMC Air in 2001 ex G-OJMB taken 

Travel Service Poland traveled from the Caribbean back to Warsaw, Poland before heading to Malta on a tech stop by Lufthansa Technik Malta. Interesting about this aircraft in history, this is one of the few former JMC Air from the UK ex G-OJMB meaning their are still some of former JMC Air planes I've mentioned about Thomas Cook and few other operators. Now these former JMC Air are either scrapped & recycled.

Virgin Atlantic G-VMNK  Airbus A330-200 new to LTU in 2001 ex D-ALPA 8th January 2019. 

And speaking of Lufthansa Technik we had a rare visitor of Virgin Atlantic arrived from London Gatwick, UK. Virgin Atlantic I see it sometimes yearly it comes to Malta during it's tech stop since I've last seen Virgin Atlantic in Malta three years ago but an Airbus A340 instead on A330. Other facet, some of these Airbus A330 aircraft to Virgin are former LTU & Air Berlin.

Afriqiyah Airways 5A-ONO Airbus A320 delivered in 2013 taken 8th January 2019

Finally I did not know what's coming after Virgin Atlantic arrived we have Afriqiyah Airways we rarely see in Malta since the Flight 209 hijacking in December 2016. This visitor of Afriqiyah Airways arrived from Tripoli Mitiga, Libya with the Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj on-board. During the Libyan Prime Minister's visit, it's to do with migrants crossing into the Mediterranean Sea to Europe during the discussions with Fayez al-Sarraj and our Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. The same aircraft & reg came back few days later sadly I wasn't in Malta its only to pick up  Fayez al-Sarraj. 

Aviation in Malta New Years Eve 2018

Day one in Malta with a short visit in Malta International Airport before I head off celebrating the New Year of 2019. In general I don't have many photos while I was in Malta so after this blog we'll start with this month.

Flybe G-ISLF ATR 42 new to Eurowings in 1997 ex D-BMMM.

For those who've been seeing this on my Facebook page I've uploaded a mobile version about the information about Flybe before Virgin Atlantic plans to takeover the deal. During the the financial crisis of Flybe of rise of fuel etc, the airline has put for sale which Virgin Atlantic did also included

Stobart Air. With this aircraft G-ISLF ATR 42 with the new Flybe livery operating for Blue Islands from Channel Islands is being postponed before the buyer. 

Magma TF-AMI Boeing 747-400F new to Singapore Airlines in 1992 ex 9V-SMO.

Freshly painted into a new brand for Air Atlanta Icelandic, we have Magma to be operating once again Air Atlanta Icelandic after ended Saudi Arabian Airlines Cargo & back to lessor. This is the first Boeing 747-400 I've seen in Malta for ACM since I've seen Hi Fly Malta Airbus A380 here.   

Lufthansa D-AIUK Airbus A320 delivered in 2015.

The last spotting photo for 2018 just a regular visitor Lufthansa this time departed full length on Runway 31 instead of short length via Charlie. And so the 2018 spotting is over we'll take a look at 2019 photos shortly. 

Flybe taking over by Virgin Atlantic

Today's announcement for the future of the struggled British regional carrier Flybe has now been sold to Virgin Atlantic and Stobart Group for £2.2 million. The airliner was suffering when various airliners was ceased operations such as Monarch, Primera Air and Small Planet Airlines, Flybe was also on the list with the rise cost of fuel and oil giving Flybe a profit warning also encase of Brexit. 

Flybe is based in Exeter, UK with their main hub of flight from Exeter, Southampton, Cardiff and Aberdeen to other areas in the UK and the rest of Europe. Worry part from Virgin Atlantic for the takeover flights might have to be cut from Flybe & focus on main airports for connecting to Virgin Atlantic flights & partners for Delta Air Lines etc. 

You might remember Virgin Atlantic once operated as regional on UK domestic flights called Little Red in 2013 it failed in 2015 at London Heathrow.

During the Virgin Atlantic takeover, the entire Flybe aircraft will be re-branded into Virgin Atlantic with the return of domestic flights theirs no plans for EU flights as for right now. Once the takeover starts, their will be more information in the future.    

Malta travel information (1st January 2019)

We've entered into 2019, while I'm in Malta celebrating the New Year, Malta International Airport has some exiting new flights currently planned & scheduled by the time I made this blog. So let's tale a look what we expect to see.

Ryanair is Malta's second hub with few based aircraft within Europe. Ryanair has dozens of new flights all planned in April 2019 so in order hear is where Ryanair's new flights will be operating.

• Cardiff, UK - begins 3rd April 2019
• Cork, Ireland - begins 4th April 2019
• Exeter, UK - begins 2nd April 2019
• Lamezia Terme, Italy - begins 3rd April 2019
• Luxembourg  - begins 1st April 2019
• Maastricht, The Netherlands - begins 1st April 2019
• Nantes, France - begins 2nd April 2019
• Perugia, Italy - begins 1st April 2019
• Queen Alia, Jordan - begins 2nd April 2019 seasonal 
• Sandefjord, Norway - begins 3rd April 2019
• Thessaloniki, Greece - begins 1st April 2019

Turkish Airlines is not leaving it's Malta flights. Yesterday Istanbul Ataturk, Turkey has closed it's doors for all commercial flights & today is the new era of the Istanbul Havalimani (no i at the end for English type) so after the airport is in operational today, the new airport will only be called Istanbul. Today Turkish Airlines is operating as normal to it's brand new airport so you don't need to worry on changing flights.

Volotea has been successful in 2018, two new destinations has been added for the Summer 2019 season.

• Genoa, Italy - begins 5th June 2019
• Verona, Italy - begins 4th June 2019

Wizzair is not a base for Malta with 9 flights as of today. Coming April 1st 2019, Wizzair is introducing one & 10th flight from Debrecen, Hungary. 

Back in the Summer 2018, Qatar Airways announced it will operate a brand new service to Malta direct from Doha, Qatar. Recently before Christmas last year Qatar Airways announced the first flight will start to Malta in 4th June 2019 using Airbus A320.

Air Malta is staring to become Island of the Mediterranean & it'll be more exciting for the future. First destination & still ongoing Air Malta is planning to resume flights to Tripoli Mitiga, Libya this year. However because Libyan airliners such as Libyan Airlines and Libyan Wings are banned into the EU's airspace to their destinations with only exception flights to Istanbul Havaliman, Turkey to cross the Greek Airspace same for all EU airliners to Libya apart from Medavia. If all goes to plan, we'll see Air Malta back to Libya for this year depending on the safety in Libya. 

And finally with Air Malta, it will be resuming flights to Cairo, Egypt after it's last flight ended in October 2006. Starting March 31st 2019 Air Malta will begin operating twice a week using Airbus A320 with a return flight on 1st April operating night flights.