Former Labour MEP Marlene Mizzi, stockbroker Paul V Azzopardi and former Air Malta chairman David Curmi are the only directors of the newly set up national airline, KM Malta Airlines, according to information on the Malta Business Registry.

They were appointed by Finance Minister Clyde Caruana on behalf of the government which is the airline’s main shareholder.  

Sources said the board will not be boosted for the time being.

The new national airline will make its maiden flight on March 31, replacing the current flag carrier which will operate its last flight on March 30.

KM Malta Airlines was incorporated on November 1 last year following an agreement reached with the European Union on the transition to the new airline after the European Commission had earlier refused to accept a government request for fresh state funding for the carrier.

Its registered address is in South Street, Valletta, the same address as legal and fiscal advisory firm Equinox International Limited, the company secretary. Marlene Mizzi graduated in economics from the University of Malta.

Her field of specialisation is corporate governance. She worked in manufacturing, retail, banking, shipping, and insurance sectors, both locally and abroad.

She was also chairperson of Sea Malta Co. Ltd and a member of the board of airline Malta MedAir. Mizzi served for six years as an MEP and is Malta’s Ambassador to Sweden and Norway.

Finance and investment specialist Paul V. Azzopardi, a renowned stockbroker, currently serves as CEO at Malta Development Bank.

He had been involved with the bank since its launch in 2017, after he formed part of the working group mandated to prepare the recommendations for the setting up of MDB.

He also served as a director of Bank of Valletta, BOV Asset Management Ltd, as well as BOV Funds Services Ltd. Curmi is listed as the airline’s judicial and legal representative.

In December, KM Malta Airlines was granted an air operator licence by Malta's Civil Aviation Directorate. The airline also launched a recruitment programme, seeking to recruit 375 employees with the first call being made for captains and first officers.

It will operate a young single-type aircraft fleet of eight Airbus 320NEOs, in a two-class configuration with a flexible business class cabin averaging 168 total saleable seats with up to 36 business class seats.

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