Voluxis Granted Malta Air Operator Certificate, Its Third and First Under EASA
Why It MattersOperators that hold several national certificates can let owners pick a registry by where they fly, so jurisdiction becomes a product feature in European aircraft management and charter.
What happened
Private aviation group Voluxis has been granted an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) by the Civil Aviation Directorate within Transport Malta. It is the company's third AOC and its first issued under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) system.
The Malta certificate complements Voluxis's existing UK (G-registered) and San Marino (T7-registered) certifications. Aircraft owners can now choose between the UK, San Marino and Malta to register their aircraft, with each AOC offering a slightly different list of benefits.
Voluxis CEO Warren Gravell said the Malta AOC allows free movement around Europe, maximizing the company's charter capabilities. He said Malta is an important part of Voluxis's aircraft management strategy and gives the company full access to commercial operations within Europe. Gravell described the certificate as well suited to owners who fly primarily in Europe, offering greater operational flexibility.
Voluxis will have a launch aircraft on the Malta AOC. Charles Pace, director general for Civil Aviation at Transport Malta, congratulated the company and thanked Voluxis management for choosing Malta, saying he looks forward to seeing the airline continue to grow in the coming months.
Industry impact & what to watch
Holding certificates in more than one jurisdiction changes what an aircraft management company can offer an owner. Instead of a single registry fixed by the operator's home regulator, the owner can match the certificate to how the aircraft is actually used. For a European-focused owner, an EASA-based AOC is the natural fit, while the UK and San Marino certificates remain options for other flying patterns.
The move also reflects how post-Brexit regulatory splits continue to shape operator structures. A group that already runs UK-registered aircraft needs an EASA-system certificate to keep full commercial access within the EU, and Malta is one of the routes to obtain it. Running three certificates in parallel, however, means maintaining three sets of oversight relationships.
The next concrete milestone is the launch aircraft that Voluxis says will be placed on the Malta AOC, which will show how quickly the certificate moves from approval to revenue-generating operations.
