Gozo Tourism Association seeks meeting with MTA

Gozo Tourism Association secretary Joe Muscat has complained that his association has not yet been able to meet the chairman of the Malta Tourism Authority.

Although several meetings were arranged, all were postponed by the chairman's office, he said.

Mr Muscat was speaking last Thursday at a public debate on the theme 'The Gozo-Malta Airlink. Why should it be controversial'. This activity, organised by the Circolo Gozitano at its Victoria premises, began with two presentations by Synergy Aviation (Malta) and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association - Malta (AOPA).

Speaking on behalf of Synergy Aviation, Henri Portelli presented his firm's proposals for a Gozo-Malta air service. He said that his company is confident that with the extension of the existing runway up to the west and east limits of an area that is currently wasteland, a safe service can be offered with the use of a Short Take-Off and Landing fixed-wing twin engine aircraft.

The aircraft being proposed is the Islander, a ten-seater workhorse, which is used on similar island-hopping services throughout the world.

The extended runway would be around 430 m long and, the presentation showed, is adequate as similar operations on the three Aran Islands on the west coast of Ireland use runways no longer than 400 m.

Charles Galea, speaking on behalf of AOPA, said that to maximise benefits of an airstrip on Gozo, an extension making it possible for short haul planes to land and take off would be the viable option.

This will open the possibility of direct links from Gozo to nearby countries on the southern part of the European littoral, attracting up-market tourism.