In defence of Air Malta

I was amazed to read Fr Mark Montebello's letter (Miserable Flight, November 29) and feel I must come to the defence of Air Malta.

As he did not state on which route he was travelling, I may be comparing apples with pears, but my wife and I fly regularly with Air Malta on the Malta-Birmingham route, which is also a flight of three hours, and our experiences have been totally different. The leg room on Air Malta seems to compare favourably with that of similar carriers, both European and American, although, as I do not know from where he measured his 28 inches and I do not travel with a tape measure at the ready, I cannot say by how much.

We have always been happy with the treatment we have received from Air Malta, both on the ground and in the air. Once the door of the aircraft has closed and everybody is seated, the flight staff generally exhibit a concern for the welfare of their passengers and, if the aircraft is not full, they encourage passengers to spread out into the vacant seats.

The vast majority of our flights have been uneventful but, when an elderly passenger had a heart attack, I was gratified that the captain did not hesitate to immediately divert to Geneva. He  explained why we were no longer on the straight route to Malta and also kept us well informed.

When my wife was taken ill and we had to postpone a return flight, the Air Malta staff in the London office were most solicitous and did everything they could to assist us. When a starter-motor failed to start an aircraft engine at Birmingham, a spare part was brought up from London and, until we were disembarked, the captain gave us a running commentary on progress.

My dissatisfaction on that occasion was with airport staff and not with Air Malta. If I have any complaint, it is incidental and relates to the quality of their in-flight food, as in recent months the standard seems to have deteriorated.

I have also travelled with cheaper carriers on the same route, where passengers are treated as self-loading cargo, the leg room is definitely less than that on Air Malta and the cabin-crew generally lack the polish and professionalism of the Air Malta staff.

The saving on the fare is not that much (and certainly not as much as is advertised) and flight changes are usually prohibited, whereas the Air Malta re-ticketing policy is remarkably flexible.

I can understand Father Montebello's discomfort if, on a flight of three hours, he was "impossibly crammed" in his seat with his face "up against a screen" while at the same time curtains were drawn "just in front" of his face.

I accept that he may well have had grounds for complaint and, had his letter expressed them in a more logical and less emotive manner, he would have had more of my sympathy. As it is, I would respectfully suggest that he overstated his case. Perhaps, on any future flights, he would be more comfortable if the curtain and the cabin-dividing screen were behind him.