Court accepts Air Malta’s request to stop pilots’ industrial action – Updated
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In a tweet, Minister Konrad Mizzi said that Air Malta requested the court to stop ALPA from taking illegal action. He added “Taxpayer funds will NOT guarantee retirement packages of 700,000 euros for each pilot.”
Government-owned Malta MedAir could step in and take over Air Malta’s growth plan if issues between the national airline and its pilots are not resolved, Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi said on Monday.
“We’re keeping our options open,” Dr Mizzi said in a brief video statement he uploaded to Facebook.
One of those options, the minister suggested, was to use government-owned Malta MedAir to implement growth plans which would see Air Malta expand into long-haul flights to the Americas and Asia.
“We want Air Malta to grow,” Dr Mizzi reiterated in his video message. “But if it is not in a position [to do so]… the option is there. The government’s objective must be reached”.
“We love Air Malta and are going to keep it alive, but our economy is more important,” he added.
Meanwhile Air Malta flights this morning started to be delayed by 30 minutes as pilots took industrial action after their requests for a Eur700,000 retirement package were not met.
Outgoing flights to London, Amsterdam and Rome were the first to be affected, as the pilots’ action came into force. Other departing and arriving flights are also set to be delayed unless an agreement is found.
