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04.04.19 5 NEWS FROM PAGE 1 Airline sources said that the hangar, which was previ- ously used by the Royal Air Force then handed down to Air Malta after the departure of the British, currently lies in a terrible state. At the same time, the sources said that the construction of a new hangar had been promised for quite a while. "It's been a long time coming. I remember, some six or seven years ago, a self-commissioned report had concluded that the condition of the hangar was such that it was beyond re- pair, from a financial feasibil- ity point of view. Evidently, the hangar is not up to the stand- ards of other maintenance and repair facilities (MROs) in Malta and abroad," expressed the source. From Luqa to Mumbai on an Airbus A321? Asked if the airline's quest to touch down in places like Mumbai or New York required a new fleet of jumbo jets, min- ister Mizzi was quick to point out that the aviation industry was continuously changing. "We want to keep a homoge- nous fleet of Airbus A320 and A321, which will, in essence, help us reduce costs and at the same time reach our goals," he underlined. Mizzi explained that with the latest developments on Air- bus A321 variants, a long-haul flight was definitely possible. "With an extra fuel tank, the new Airbus A321 has an ex- tended long range capability. We will never be able to afford an A380 or A330, but the A321 is manageable." According to Reuters, Air- bus should launch the updat- ed version of its best-selling narrow-body aircraft by mid- 2019. As the corporation's re- sponse to middle of the mar- ket aircraft competition, the A321XLR is expected to be able to travel as maximum of 9,260 kilometers, enough to connect Central Europe to the United States' east coast. Swiss-based Chinese owned SR Technics to get a new 30,000 sq.m hangar Both Swiss-based SR Tech- nics and German giant Lufthansa Technik are cur- rently in line to develop or up- date their hangars. Just this week an agreement was signed between SR Tech- nics and the Maltese govern- ment which will see the con- struction of a new 30,000 sq.m multi-bay hangar facility. e hangar, which will be suitable for both narrow and wide-body aircraft at Malta In- ternational Airport, will also include large workshop areas. is development will enable SR Technics to increase its ca- pacity to up to six narrow-body aircraft at once for mainte- nance such as C-checks, mod- ifications, and retrofits. In his speech, Economy Minister Chris Cardona in- sisted that the government is ambitious and keen to reach higher and wider goals and sees MROs as a first crucial step towards grasping wider opportunities in the aviation industry. "We fully appreciate that the speed at which the industry is growing poses challenges, particularly in regard to hu- man resource needs and safe- ty and congestion. Significant investment will be needed in all areas of aviation to ensure it will be ready to meet long- term demands," Cardona said. Air Malta mulling long-haul flights on Airbus A321 Sourcessay the construction of a new hangar has been promised for quite a while GEORGE Vella will today tale the oath of office as Malta's 10th President of the Republic. His nomination was ap- proved by Parliament on Tues- day, with Prime Minister Jo- seph Muscat, addressing the House, saying that the former foreign affairs minister was the best person to be the coun- try' head of state. Muscat said that he could think of few people who had spent as much time in politics as Vella, about who there had never been any doubts. "He was in front line politics, he was deputy Prime Minis- ter, he was my Foreign Min- ister and when you consider everything, no matter how hard you try, you can't find one occasion where he had not conducted himself with integ- rity," he said. He said Vella had a strong sense of duty and was a firm believer in public service and in being there for the people. "No doubt this is a result of his upbringing, which saw him start from humble beginnings to become a doctor and a ref- erence point for many people from the south of Malta, at the dry docks and at Air Malta." An expert in Mediterranean affairs and the middle-east, Muscat said, Vella's presidency would follow on that of Guido de Marco. Vella will be replacing out- going President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, who had been appointed to the position in 2014. George Vella succeeds Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca as President of Malta Parliament praised outgoing President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca for her work in the past five years

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