Malta’s Airhub Airlines inducts first A340

Four months after taking delivery of its first A340-300, Airhub Airlines (GJM, Malta Int’l) has completed the conversion of the aircraft into a makeshift freighter and is ready to induct it into revenue service in early November 2021.

9H-ZMK (msn 668), a 2005-build quadjet previously operated by Air Tahiti Nui, was converted into a zero-LOPA configuration by Aviatic MRO at Siauliai airport.

“The inducted widebody aircraft will primarily be used for transporting cargo on long-haul routes including destinations in Asia, Middle East and Europe. This addition will enable us to meet the industry needs for cargo operations and provide services that are in high demand worldwide,” general manager Haris Coloman said.

After the conversion and maintenance, the aircraft was ferried to Vilnius on October 22 and to Riga on October 26, 2021, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows.

The Maltese ACMI/charter specialist, a sister carrier of Lithuania’s GetJet Airlines, said it would take its second A340-300, F-WTBE (msn 938), next month. The aircraft will be re-registered as 9H-HOP. In total, Airhub Airlines said it would operate six widebody aircraft by the end of 2021 but did not reveal the exact plan. Previously, the airline said it would add four A340-300s in total. Spokeswoman Agnė Gaidamavičiūtė told ch-aviation the airline would only reveal more details once the forthcoming aircraft had been registered in Malta.

Airhub Airlines also operates three A320-200s: 9H-HUB (msn 4328), 9H-EMU (msn 1087), and recently delivered 9H-GTS (msn 4384). Its Lithuanian sister carrier’s fleet comprises two A319-100s, four A320-200s, one A330-300 (which is also in a zero-LOPA cargo configuration), and one inactive B737-400, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module indicates.