British private jet operator Air Charter Scotland has established a presence in Malta, after Britain’s departure from the EU made operations more difficult.

The company, which operates 10 aircraft in total, has based two aircraft on the Maltese register, to allow it to continue flying between EU countries with a European Union air operator’s certificate.

Air Charter Scotland commercial director and accountable manager Derek Thomson commented that the company decided in 2019 that it would be a “sensible step” to establish operations in Malta, to protect the company from “whatever obstacles Brexit would throw up”.

The airline aims to have three aircraft registered in Malta by April, which, it says, will give its clients the utmost flexibility in being able to offer charter in the EU territories.

Charles Pace, director-general of Transport Malta celebrated that Malta is an appealing jurisdiction for non-EU aircraft, saying it appeals for its promise of credible regulatory oversight and administrative efficiency.

Malta, Mr Pace says, has more than 10 operators seeking to add aircraft to its registry, which includes three more from the UK.