Transport Malta deputy CEO and chief operations officer (COO) Kevin Farrugia is to leave the organisation “imminently,” according to sources at the transport authority.  

Farrugia, who has been in the role since 2018, will move to the Foundation for Transport. The foundation’s current director-general, Jeannette Axisa, will move to Transport Malta as chief officer, sources said on Monday.

It is understood that the posts of deputy CEO and COO at Transport Malta will be abolished following Farrugia’s departure. 

Sources said the switch is intended to allow Transport Malta's newly appointed CEO Jonathan Borg to run the authority “on his own terms.” Farrugia's departure is  “just the start,” sources said, adding more changes at Transport Malta were expected in the coming weeks.

During his time at Transport Malta, Farrugia has served under two former CEOs as well as former Transport Minister Ian Borg. 

Monday’s news represents the second shake-up at the Transport authority in less than a month, after the previous CEO Jeffrey Curmi was replaced by Borg less than 12 months into the job.  

Rumours of the changeover had persisted since last March, with the Transport Ministry finally announcing the change in CEOs on April 29.  

In his new role at the Foundation for Transport, Farrugia is expected to be tasked with improving decarbonisation efforts and the roll-out of digital services in the transport industry.  

The foundation was co-founded by the Malta Chamber of SMEs, the Malta Employers’ Association, Malta Enterprise, MCAST and Transport Malta to assist industry players in adapting to innovation and adopting clean technologies. 

Before joining Transport Malta, Farrugia worked as a finance director at Enemalta for six months and before that in the tourism and hospitality sectors, according to his LinkedIn profile.