FTO Malta School of Flying is experiencing growth and has taken on its first Chinese students. The company has a training fleet of seven aircraft including the Tecnam P2006T.

General manager Iselle McCalman says that many students come to Malta to train because, on average, it is cheaper. “It is a very convenient, user-friendly environment and more affordable than most parts of Europe including the UK,” she remarks. “We have quite a lot of people coming to fly here. We also have people who spend three months here in the summer to start off their PPL.”

Malta is an aviation hub in general, with a number of business aviation operators establishing a presence there. “We had someone qualify in December and by January they were given an offer by a charter company,” continues McCalman. “We are trying to create a platform that offers something for everyone, whatever their ambition.”