The government has launched a feasibility study about the reintroduction of a helicopter service between Malta and Gozo, Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi and Gozo minister Justyne Caruana said on Tuesday.

They told a press conference that various models of operation were being considered.

Chopper chopped: The helicopter operated on the Gozo route by a Spanish company in 2006.

The ministers did not say who would operate the service, but Dr Mizzi said state-owned Malta Medair has been in contact with a number of aviation companies including Airbus to discuss the best type of helicopter for the route.

Malta Medair was set up a few years ago and holds Malta's slots to operate to Heathrow and other airports, which rights it has leased to Air Malta. The airline also has one aircraft, operated by Air Malta.

An Air Malta subsidiary, Malta Air Charter, operated a helicopter service between Malta and Gozo for 10 years, but was forced to discontinue it in 2005 as losses mounted.

A Spanish company, Helicopteros del Sureste, took over the route but similarly had to give up within 18 months. 

Harbour Air (Malta) Ltd operated a seaplane service between Grand Harbour and Mgarr harbour in Gozo between 2007 and 2012.

In 2013 Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told the Gozo Regional Committee that a helicopter operator had expressed interest in running a service. The plans, however, never reached fruition. 

The Gozo helicopter pad in Xewkija is maintained by the Ministry of Gozo but has been unused for years.