Ryanair launches its new subsidiary, Malta Air, for now under the Ryanair brand

Ryanair has launched its new subsidiary, Malta Air, in Malta.

The pictured 9H-QAE (formerly EI-GDR) is one of the first to receive the new registration.

For now, the new airline is operating under the Ryanair brand although it is expected to soon adopt its own livery (below).

Previously on June 11, Ryanair Holdings announced it had agreed to purchase Malta Air, a Maltese start-up airline, into which Ryanair will move and grow its Malta based fleet of 6 Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

This investment in Malta Air will allow Ryanair to grow its already sizable presence in Malta (3 million customers per year), and access non-EU markets (North Africa) from Malta. Completion is planned for the end of June, following which Ryanair Holdings will;

• Switch 6 Malta based aircraft (worth over $600m) onto the Maltese register
• 200 Malta based crew move onto local contracts paying local Maltese taxes
• Increase its Malta based fleet to 10 aircraft within three years and create over 350 jobs
• Brand its Malta based fleet in Malta Air colors for Summer 2020
• Move Ryanair based aircraft from France, Italy and Germany onto the Malta AOC which will allow these crews to pay their income taxes locally in France, Italy and Germany instead of Ireland where they are currently required to pay income taxes under Ryanair’s Irish AOC.