Airshows (2)

Allow me, on behalf of the Malta Aviation Society, to congratulate and thank The Times on a very balanced and well-informed, almost technical, editorial in Wednesday's issue.

Coming at this very hectic time for us while running a bit late with a few things (nothing to do with safety) due to the recent misunderstanding between MIA plc and ourselves, reading the editorial early that morning provided my team and myself with a potent fillip. It really encourages us to read that our voluntary work is valued and respected by no less than the present editor of the best daily on the island.

We are of course expecting quite a barrage of anti-airshow sentiments after last weekend's unfortunate events but we find it difficult to comprehend the negative stand by some local councils. In other countries, on the contrary, my colleagues who also organise airshows, are hired by local councils to organise airshows for them because their business community ask for such events to boost their business.

They then go on to sponsor some of the costs incurred by the council to have the event in the locality. On a smaller scale, many businesses in localities around Luqa's airport also gain from the event but to cap it all one can observe hundreds of people observing the flying spectacle for free from friends' and relatives' roof tops.

We even have pictures of people watching the air display from the top of one of the surrounding parish churches, no less. I don't think the local councils will be speaking on these people's behalf in this case.