Malta-based solicitor Fiona Healy: 'I hadn’t expected to love working in aviation quite as much as I did. Now I can’t imagine working in any other sector.'
“Malta had just passed some innovative legislation to make the jurisdiction more attractive to airlines and they were planning a big push to bring in new registration business – much as they had done with the yacht register, which is one of the largest in the world,” Healy says.
“Business aviation is very much a global community and my contacts have been incredibly helpful. I don’t have a website and all my business is by word of mouth,” adds Healy, who lives in Sliema, about 20 minutes from the Maltese capital, Valletta, “I am exceptionally proud of my years spent contributing to the aviation sector here, having facilitated the addition of eight airlines and 67 aircraft to the Malta registry to date. I am currently working on my ninth airline project, which I hope to complete in November. My tenth should be ready to start in Q1 of next year. When I started here there were 12 airlines. Now there are 52 and growing.
“This was the idea behind the aircraft registration Act. The legislation also made it an attractive location for aircraft operators, not just registration, so over time it has also become more a centre for airline operations.” Healy loves living in Malta. Apart from its history, rich culture and the sunshine, she cites the lower cost of living, the international focus and the ease of doing business as the reasons why Malta appeals to her so much.