Pilot 'shortage' delays flight

An Air Malta flight to Berlin on Saturday morning was delayed by two and a half hours due to "a shortage of pilots", according to the Airline Pilots Association (Alpa).

Passengers on board Flight KM736 to Tegel airport had to wait for a crew to man the aircraft. The association claimed that such a delay was the result of the constant exodus of pilots from the airline.

Flight crew are legally bound to have a minimum 10-hour rest between flights. Since the captain operating to Berlin was called to fly the night before, the flight had to be rescheduled to accommodate the minimum rest period.

Usually, when such cases occur, crew who are on standby are called in. But the current staff shortage meant that, on several occasions, not enough crew members were available to be placed on standby, a spokesman for the association explained.

When contacted, a spokesman for Air Malta said the airline did not wish to comment at this stage.

The Alpa spokesman said: "Air Malta has become like a football team with a committee of 20 people, 10 technical directors, five doctors, seven masseurs and only eight players with no reserves".

Since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in 2004, no less than 28 pilots have resigned. A further two stopped flying for "other reasons", the association said.

Additionally, six expatriate cadet pilots who were employed within the last few months had resigned, preferring to work for other airlines.

According to Alpa, these expats, with an average of 80 hours experience on jets, will now be earning more than a captain flying with Air Malta.

Other pilots have resigned from Air Malta's UK bases even though their salary is much better than the salary of pilots employed here. On several occasions, Maltese pilots are sent to the UK to supplement the operation there.

When asked, the association spokesman denied that a work-to-rule directive had been issued, but warned that "the crew is fed up".

Though pilots are entitled to take industrial action, a clause in the Alpa/Air Malta collective agreement stipulates that the association has to give a two days' notice prior to such action. On the other hand, Air Malta may urge Alpa to resort to private conciliation or arbitration.

The spokesman said that unless Air Malta invests in pilots, its flights would be delayed or cancelled.

Pilot shortage prevails worldwide. Other airlines are improving the salary package to deter poaching. The spokesman insisted, however, that Alpa and its members have Air Malta at heart.

"Our only interest is to have a stable and sustainable operation that can truly serve Malta. Air Malta's only possibility of survival is to increase flights. This is impossible unless it acquires enough pilots."

Over the years, pilots had bent over backwards to help the national airline and crew had accepted to work on their rest days even when called at the last minute, the association said.