Editorial

The dispute between the management of Air Malta and the Airline Pilots Association (Alpa) is being conducted in a very public and acrimonious way. This does not augur well for the national airline, its employees and the millions of passengers who use the carrier's services.

There are various aspects that need to be addressed immediately for the long-term benefit of all those involved.

Air Malta, like other air companies in Europe, is going through a lean period commercially. This is partly a result of a fall in demand for air travel during this global recession. But it is also the consequence of overdue operational reforms in the way airlines are managed today.

National carriers had been facing stiff competition from low-cost airlines years before the prevailing global recession signalled the need for more cost-effective styles of management. Those airlines that failed to adapt to the changing circumstances faced the inevitable decline into oblivion. Some no longer exist and other giant airlines, like Alitalia, have had to undergo major restructuring that has cost the jobs of thousands of workers. Air Malta too needs to restructure if it wants to survive and no restructuring is painless to the workforce. If the airline is to ensure it remains in the black, it must be in a position to adapt to the changing market conditions.

Another important aspect of the dispute is the impact it is likely to have, not just on the company's 1,400 workers, but also the thousands of other workers who depend on the tourism industry to earn a living. Any disruption in Air Malta's services will continue to prolong the slump that this important motor of the economy is experiencing. Perhaps the most important aspect of this dispute is the effect it could have on the trust that travellers have in the safety standards of Air Malta. Alpa made a number of allegations regarding practices allegedly being introduced by the management of Air Malta that could affect the safety of its flights. These relate to alleged undue pressure on pilots who report sick and an "attempt by an Air Malta general manager to do without an in-flight rest area".

These allegations should be investigated both by management and the Department of Civil Aviation to determine what the situation is really like. The health and safety of both pilots and travellers are of paramount importance and one would have preferred that such allegations were investigated internally and not externalised as they have been in this case.

Reading between the lines of the various media releases made public by the pilots' union and the management of Air Malta, one immediately senses a breach of confidence and trust between the parties in dispute. The confrontational attitude adopted by both sides needs to be changed into one of cooperation. It is time to stop the sabre rattling that can only produce jarring noise.

There is need for an intermediary who can listen to the arguments of both parties and suggest ways of overcoming the stumbling blocks that are preventing harmonious industrial relations from prevailing.

However, one needs to be careful not to aim for a Solomon-style solution that will appear to satisfy both parties but put at risk the long-term survival of Air Malta and all its employees.

The national airline has served the country well for over three decades. It needs to continue to do so by adapting to the changing economic environment.