Lightning strike temporarily forces aircraft out of service

An Air Malta aircraft which was hit by a lightning strike two weeks ago will undergo some further routine maintenance and checks and will be out of service, the airline said in a statement.

Air Malta said the flight planning department at the airline has worked hard to keep the schedule on-time despite the temporary loss of the aircraft. Next week, there can be instances where flights will be operated with a wet-leased aircraft from aviation specialist, SmartLynx.

“Putting its customers first, and to minimize inconveniences to passengers, Air Malta prefers offering a continued on-time service to its passengers and wet-leasing an aircraft for some individual flights,” Air Malta said.

Wet-leasing aircraft is an industry standard of dealing with unexpected aircraft maintenance and is done by all international airlines on a regular basis.

After thorough checks it is expected that the repaired aircraft will re-joining the fleet by the end of next week.

“Air Malta gives utmost importance to the safety, punctuality and well-being of its clients and crew and apologises to its clients for any inconvenience caused by circumstances beyond its control.”