Military aircraft on their way to enforce the no-fly zone over Libya have been passing through specific corridors in the airspace controlled by Malta, according to an air traffic control official.

“We have been working very well with Nato and this enabled us not to disrupt civilian air traffic in the airspace controlled by Malta,” Malta Air Traffic Services chief operations officer Robert Sant said yesterday.

The airspace controlled by Malta, known as the flight information region, spans the central Mediterranean from Tunisia to Crete and military aircraft involved in Nato sorties (an armed attack or operational flight by a military aircraft) over Libya would have to pass through this airspace.

Since the start of Nato air strikes in Libya five months ago, Maltese air controllers have designated air corridors and zones for air-to-air refuelling of military aircraft. The complex operation ensured civilian air traffic was not disrupted or delayed.

Since Nato commenced operations in Libya at the end of March, a total of 17,808 sorties, including 6,745 strike missions, were conducted as part of operation Unified Protector. According to Nato’s latest media update, on Thursday 117 sorties were conducted, including 44 strike missions.

Mr Sant said Malta Air Traffic Services’ role was to ensure safe passage of military aircraft through the flight information region. It did not enter into the merits of the mission the aircraft were involved in.He observed that, since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan this week, the number of sorties had declined. Mr Sant said Malta was given a special temporary delegation of power by the International Civil Aviation Organisation to coordinate and deliver aeronautical services in Libyan airspace. This was especially necessary to coordinate the humanitarian flights to Libya.

Mr Sant was speaking during a visit by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi to Malta Air Traffic Services.

Dr Gonzi was shown around the building and control tower by former army commander Brigadier Carmel Vassallo, chief executive officer of Malta Air Traffic Services. The buildings are located within the airport’s perimeter. At the end of the visit, Dr Gonzi thanked the controllers for their work, especially during the Libya crisis, which entailed high levels of professionalism and technical knowhow to ensure there was no disruption in civilian air traffic.

While Dr Gonzi was in the control tower, the army’s latest aircraft, the King Air, took off and saluted the Prime Minister by flying past the control tower.