Turbulence between Air Malta and pilots' association

Although 28 pilots have left Air Malta over the last two years, the national airline only recruited eight pilots and a recent call for applications will not provide first officers before February, James Fenech, president of the Airline Pilots' Association (ALPA), said.

Moreover, successful applicants who do not yet have a flying licence would need a further two years before they become co-pilots.

"One has to take into account the negative effect that the replacement of highly experienced pilots by inexperienced ones will have on the airline," he said.

Mr Fenech was reacting to comments by Air Malta in response to comments by the association last week. The ALPA president had then highlighted the importance that Air Malta aligns the pilots' remuneration package with that of international counterparts in an attempt to stop the pilot drain. Mr Fenech had underscored the difference in remuneration by Air Malta and that by other airlines - a captain with five years' experience earns Lm26,000 with Air Malta and a first officer about Lm17,000 annually while a fifth-year captain with Ryan Air earns about Lm62,000 and a first officer Lm42,000. Emirates pays captains an annual salary of about Lm36,000 and first officers Lm24,000 tax free, plus a number of perks.

In its reaction, Air Malta said that comparing remuneration was a futile exercise because various other factors - including the standard of living and wages in those countries, and the pattern and type of operation of the carriers - had to be taken into consideration.

But Mr Fenech's answer to that was that Air Malta flew the same type of aircraft as Ryan Air, went to similar airports and likewise operated short haul flights. Both groups of pilots have the same legal limits, enabling them to fly 900 hours and have 2,000 hours on duty annually.

Does the fact that Ryan Air pays its captains almost two and a half times what Air Malta did mean that the standard of living in the UK was that much higher, Mr Fenech asked.

Does the national carrier consider Malta to have the lowest standard of living among the countries where the carriers mentioned are based?

Moreover, he said, while Air Malta had reportedly increased the pay of pilots based abroad, it did not do the same to Maltese nationals, "even though on average a pilot resigns every month here".