Air Sicilia founder eyes Malta for low-cost airline
Karl Stagno-Navarra
Controversial Sicilian entrapreneur Luigi Crispino has chosen Malta as base to his brand new low cost airline Efly. Once given the green light from local aviation authorities, Efly is set to operate scheduled and charter flights to Sicily, Italy and the UK.
Efly has already been registered in Malta, with a first aircraft - a British Aerospace 146-300 - has already been brought to the island and is currently at the Medavia hangar in Safi.
Crispino - who has also been involved in a number of start-ups over the years, including Air Sicilia that went bust in 2000 - has registered the aircraft to Aircraft Leasing Management, a Maltese leasing company that is owned by the Crispino family and other investors.
A second aircraft is said to arrive in Malta in the coming days, while Efly has reportedly signed a contract with a Bologna based airline to operate on its behalf.
Luigi Crispino was the founder of Air Sicilia, which broke the Alitalia monopoly in 1994. He has been involved in a number of businesses, including a private yacht marina in Syracuse, where his family runs a legal firm.
However, Luigi Crispino’s career is constellated with projects and issues with the Italian judiciary. He was arrested in 2000 following the grounding of Air Sicilia and its bankruptcy.
He was also sued and had to pay €145,000 in compensation to a senior consultant of his who claimed to have never been paid, and who had reportedly instigated the investigations by the Guardia di Finanza into his finances.
Known for his ability to rehabilitate himself, Luigi Crispino is listed as a car concessionaire, developer, pharmaceutical representative and owner of a resort in Lampedusa. He also entered politics in Sicily by founding a left-wing movement that went into disband shortly after its inception.
In Malta, Luigi Crispino has employed Frans Camilleri, Air Malta’s former Corporate Group Head Strategic Planning as Efly’s account manager.
Mr Camilleri’s reputation in aviation strategy is second to none, and has long years of experience on a series of projects, amongst which was the Air Malta fleet renewal programme in 2002.
Aircraft Leasing Management has been registered with the MFSA with 20,000 shares at a nominal value of €1 each. The administrative offices are registered in Msida.
