Various KM Malta and Ryanair flights to Paris, Italy, Greece and Slovakia were delayed on Thursday morning over directives from the Malta Air Traffic Services to impose follow-me vehicles to guide aircraft movements.

Malta International Airport said today that five aircraft movements had suffered delays following the introduction of what it said were “unadvised” procedures by Malta Air Traffic Services, which have imposed the provision of follow-me vehicles to guide aircraft movements on Apron 9.

“In the interest of mitigating a negative experience for its passengers, Malta International Airport undertook the necessary measures to alleviate delays on aircraft movements, which at the time were affected by the developing situation,” an MIA spokesperson said.

The affects flights were Air Malta flights KM478 flying to Paris, Charles de Gaulle at 6am; and KM640 flying to Catania at 6am; and Ryanair flights FR1528 flying to Bratislava at 5:45am, departing two hours later; FR6029 flying to Athens at 5:50am, delayed for two hours; and FR9875 to Bari at 6:15am, delayed for an hour.

The use of follow-me vehicles can be used as a measure to safely marshalling taxiing aircraft. When parking at gates, marshallers often guide aircraft onto the stand using hand gestures made clearer through the use of illuminated sticks. However, airports can also use another visual aid to guide aircraft from place to place. This additional visual aid comes in the form of a so-called ‘follow me’ car.

Airports provide these special vehicles as something for aircraft to follow on their journeys across the facility. Not all aircraft receive such assistance, as for this to be the case, large airports would require an enormous fleet of such vehicles.

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