Malta-based airline suspended after Turkey crash that killed Libyan officials

The Malta-based private jet company whose aircraft crashed and killed several Libyan military officials three months ago has had its operation licence suspended after the incident.

Transport Malta told Times of Malta on Tuesday that it suspended Harmony Jets’ Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and, more recently, the company’s ‘Certificate of Airworthiness of all aircraft’.

In a statement, however, the company said it has not shut down. On the contrary, it “operates with transparency, compliance and full cooperation with the authorities and is only suspending its charter flights”.

Harmony Jets flight HMJ185 crashed in Turkey two days before Christmas, killing eight people, including Libya’s army chief of staff and four other senior officers.

The plane, a French-made Falcon 50 jet, lost radio contact shortly after it took off from Ankara en route to Tripoli. It was leased from Harmony Jets, a Malta-registered company that has provided private jet chartering services since 2017.

In its statement sent to Times of Malta, the airline said that as a legal entity, it continues to operate.

“The company does not plan to cease its activities and continues its strategic thinking for the future. However, to clarify the current operational situation, it should be noted that the company’s charter activity (on-demand flights) is currently temporarily suspended,” it said.

“This temporary measure allows the company to focus fully on ongoing discussions with authorities and its advisers, in a spirit of rigour and compliance.”

Transport Malta’s decision to suspend the two certificates effectively grounds the airline’s fleet as investigations into the fatal crash continue.

The AOC is the business licence for an airline. It is granted by the Civil Aviation Directorate within Transport Malta to allow a company to use aircraft for commercial purposes.

The Certificate of Airworthiness, on the other hand, is the fitness certificate for a specific tail number. Every single aircraft must have its own CofA. This document proves that the plane is built according to approved engineering standards, regularly inspected, repaired and maintained, and has no mechanical faults that would endanger the crew or the public.

Transport Malta said an investigation carried out by Turkish authorities was finalised and a preliminary report published, but the conclusions remain unclear.

In its statement, the airline said it is cooperating with authorities and “doing everything possible to respond quickly and accurately to requests for information, in order to facilitate the work of the oversight bodies”.

Pilot reported electrical fault

Days after the crash in December, Turkish authorities said the pilot reported an electrical malfunction minutes before losing contact with air traffic control.

During that communication, he requested permission for an emergency landing shortly before going offline.

The plane was carrying the Libyan army officers back to Tripoli following official meetings with the Turkish government. All people on board died in the crash.

Publicly available data shows that Harmony Jets has conducted significant business in Libya over the years, participated in evacuation efforts from the country last May, and was also cited by United Nations experts in assessments of potential sanctions breaches related to Libya.