A Latvian aircraft leasing and charter company with an office in Malta announced it was ceasing operations on Wednesday.

SmartLynx Airlines Latvia was formed 30 years ago, originally operating Russian-built aircraft, but transitioned to more modern Airbus and Boeing aircraft which it leased to several airlines, including Air Malta. It saw several owners over the years.

SmartLynx set up a Malta office and a subsidiary airline, SmartLynx Malta, in 2019, when it was handed an Air Operator Certificate by the Maltese authorities.  

The airline said last year that its Malta office was a key location for SmartLynx Administrative, Operational, and Maintenance Control Centre (MCC) specialists. “Working in close coordination with offices in the Baltics and bases worldwide, the Malta team provides around-the-clock support for the SmartLynx fleet. They work tirelessly to resolve ad-hoc issues as quickly as possible, ensuring that all 70 aircraft are operational and ready to fly.”

The Malta office employed  60 people.

Last month Avia Solutions Group sold SmartLynx to a Dutch fund. SmartLynx Airlines Malta and another subsidiary, SmartLynx Airlines Estonia were reportedly not part of the sale and there were plans for their merger and rebranding. 

SmartLynx Latvia said its decision to cease operations came after a thorough assessment of its financial situation and long-term outlook.

Workers said on social media that they had not been paid for weeks and some were now stranded abroad.