New €17m aviation park under construction at Safi

M.Bezzina

Mar 5th 2010, 21:27

@Rebecca Pirotta

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6429235

check the above link that what CDamato wanted say!!Thats why he told you that the proposed taxiway is useless considering that SRT will then move side by side with Lh Tek.That aircraft was looked after by LHT and it used the current road available!!

CDamato

Mar 5th 2010, 12:30

@ Rebecca Pirotta

Sorry, but you did not understand my argument, at all!

I never said I was against this project. I only said that the proposed taxiway may be useless in two/three years time.

This because the present "taxiway" already handles large aircraft such as A320, MD90, B707 and others. So with a small upgrade, it could be still used, rather than closing permanently the present road to Safi to build a new taxiway!

Joe Gatt

Mar 5th 2010, 09:29

Quite some time back, it was quite possible to build an aviation industrial area at Hal Far, presently the Control Tower is still there as well as one of the main runways. (now used as a drag racing strip) Maybe it is still possible to have another dedicated General Aviation operations facility and maintenance base, for Southern Europe. Thist takes people with a sence of purpose and unclouded vision, to re-build our country`s future. Presently and maybe unfortunately, the Construction (concrete) Industry is still the King, that is where the money is, after all money talks, it is Power.

gaffarena joseph

Mar 5th 2010, 04:53

Well done whoever was responsible to bring SR,to Malta.
What amaze me in ONE news, is that they bring all kind of negative news about the Govt, but a news like this, that will create more jobs,will not be of a news value for ONE news.
For the people of malta this is totally a brain washing tactic,that surely is not acceptable.
I, do not know why they treat their viewers like this.
Is this the new PL,strategy in keeping his followers in the dark?

R.J Micallef

Mar 4th 2010, 23:23

@Roberta Pirotta
"ftakru li dan huwa settur li qatt m ezista sa ftit snin ilu" Please make sure to get your facts right before commenting.Aircraft Maintenance sector has existed in Malta for a long time ,without dragging politics into the issue,please note that MedAvia has been operating aircraft maitenance since the 1980s,another company called Aeromaritime has also been active in Malta for quite some time,not to mention that our national airline Air Malta had/has people able to do"D" CHECKS .

What is wrong with the present taxiway?Can it be widened to accomodate larger aircraft if need be? As it is it is able and has already handled the Airbus 320.

Ml.Schembri

Mar 4th 2010, 13:52

THE SOUTH:- The Freeport,the Drydocks,ST Antonin recyling plant,Two power stations,Lufthansa Thecnic,Malta shipbuilding,Industrial Estates:- Cordin,Marsa,Recasoli,Bulebel,Hal Far.Batching plants,Quarries,Fish farms,the Airport,Cruise liner terminal.Now a spray painting Hangar.What do we need more? answer:-
"UN ALBERO DI TRENTA PIANI" Celentano (1973)

Jurgen Grech

Mar 4th 2010, 12:23

Safi residents are complaining about the increase in traffic levels and I for one will pray the Lord this will at least alleviate a little bit the daily frustrating traffic, funnelled through Marsa for workmen driving from the south-eastern areas towards Valletta, University, and other job sites up North. Serious investment in traffic planning is due! New tunnels, new fly-overs and LESS TRAFFIC LIGHTS! Seriously, what's the need of pedestrian lights every 100m in Zabbar Road, Fgura for example!? We have one of the highest obese rates in Europe, let pedestrians walk a little bit!

Malicia Dabrowicz

Mar 4th 2010, 10:53

Are you folks mad??? Was anyone living in Safi? That park will put the heavy traffic right through the village core! Seriously do we really have to have it?

Rebecca Pirotta

Mar 4th 2010, 09:19

@C D'Amato

X'argument li ma jaghmilx sens.
Kemm tippretendi li jinzlu ajruplani? tuzzana kuljum? Serrah mohhok li ajruplan wiehed fil gimgha - jekk qed nitkellmu fuq xi airbus perezempju - huwa bizzejjed biex izomm mijiet ta haddiema attivi u l-familji taghhom jaqilghu l-ghaxjien ta kuljum!

kultant ix-short sightedeness tal-argumenti taghkom huma affaxinanti.
ftakru li dan huwa settur li qatt m ezista sa ftit snin ilu, u l-ewwel bil-vizjoni ta Austin Gatt (ma taqbilx mieghu fuq hafna xorti, izda li kien vizjonarju - IT, lufthansa, smart meters, investimenti kbar ohra) trid ittihilu u issa b Tonio Fenech li huwa bniedem aktar kwiet, ma tantx forsi jaghmel storbju bhal Austin pero diga gab hafna rizultati f'sentejn li ilu ministru (SRT, Easyjet, apparti l-eluf ta impjiegi salvati, u investimenti lokali godda).......dawn flimkien holqu u zviluppaw settur li illum ghandek mal-1,500 jahdmu fih - u jaqilghu lira, jew ewro, pjuttost tajba......ghall-gid tal-ekonmija kollha.

Haddiehor jehda bil-paroli.
Dawn huma l-fatti.

Rebecca Pirotta

Mar 4th 2010, 09:16

Interessanti li ONE "Stazzjon tas-Sena" TV - lanqas biss semmewha storja bhal din.

Issa mhux se nkun naive u nippretendi li ONE News tkun top story. Fair enough, inkun qed nitlob wisq.

Imma li qas biss tissemma' - investiment kbir bhal dan - li se jilqa 350 impjieg gdid - XEJN XEJN.... Dak tghidlu gurnalizmu?

CDamato

Mar 4th 2010, 08:18

The new taxiway joining the New Aviation Park and runway 31 will be EXTREMELY USELESS once SR Technics are relocated in Park4, in two/three years time.

This because only an average of one aircraft a day (or even less) will be using this taxiway once that only Medavia will be using this site, i.e. when SR Technics move to Park 4.

It would have been much more easy and economical to organise better the present Medavia Gate from where aircraft presently cross the road, simply by building a small (very small) control room next to the gate, directly linked to the ATC Tower, maybe even with CCTVs, hence eliminating the present ineffecient operations of opening/closing the gate by AFM!

You will see that in two/three year time, this new taxiway will be DEAD for most of the time during the week!

John Visanich

Mar 4th 2010, 08:14

I do hope somebody is aware that presently the road passing by Medavia and leading to Safi and Zurrieq is being used as a diversionary route due to the closure of Valletta Road for recontruction. If this road is closed permanently before Valletta Road is completed (August?), traffic going to Safi and Zurrieq will have to pass via the Kullegg San Benedittu/Lidl road. That means there will be chaos during school opening/closing times.

J Falzon

Mar 4th 2010, 07:25

Most of you are happy and think only of the investment. However, I beg to differ as this investment for me means only hardship and heartache. This investment will provide not more then a few hundred jobs but in turn Safi (a very beautiful quiet village) is going to suffer. First, the beautiful access road full of trees will be lost to be replaced by, as yet to be determined standard level, other road. Second this SR is going to take 200 tumoli of land most of it currently occupied by beautiful old olive tress. Third the development is going to extend almost all the way back to the residential area, which until now was shielded from Medavia by the cemetery and the trees, therefore ruining the residential area surroundings and bring down the value of the properties. Fourth, the operations will introduce a round the clock level of noise, impact on residents still to be determined. I could go on forever. Thank you minster! I am so angry and disappointed right now! I still have trust in one man but, our very able mayor. He's the only man on the island that I'll ever vote for.

Simon Cassar

Mar 3rd 2010, 21:33

Kumbinazzjoni il hanger tal medavia ha in nar xi gimgha ilu u allajbierek hadd mill watchman jew suldati vicin ma nduna u il-fireengines gew meta lahaq inharaq kollox. Issa f daqqa wahda hemm xeba trakkijiet u gafef u ghaddej xoghol bil heffa

L Dimech

Mar 3rd 2010, 21:24

I agree with Mr. Cutajar. And the video and reports do not show too much activities going on either!

simon cutajar

Mar 3rd 2010, 20:42

I just saw the 8 o'clock news on the TVM and
they said that this project is in big hurry andhas to be
ready until the begining of summer 2010 and I wish to ask for what this hurry is all about ?

and what about the new jobs ?

R.Zammit

Mar 3rd 2010, 19:39

This is welcome news. Aviation has great potential for expansion, not only in maintenance facilities, but various other sectors also.

What I cannot understand is the reason for locating SR Technics at Park 4, thereby making this park not available any longer to its present use of long-term stop-over aircraft, besides the airshow and post-maintenance engine-runs.

Why not locate the SRT in the new Aviation Park in Safi? There is ample room to expand the park south-east, parallel to the runway.

From the architect's plans, the new taxiway to be constructed linking the park to the runway seems unnecessarily long. It should meet the runway at right-angles from the park's closest point. It would actually conviniently emerge opposite taxiway "C". I cannot justify the extra expense for linking it to the runway threshold. Not even one aircraft a day will use this taxiway unless light-aircarft are relocated there. It will be counter productive, as a Cessna landing on any runway will have a marathon to taxi back to base, even after landing on Runway 31.

Even the tangential angle of the taxiway will limit future useful expansion ofthe new park.

David Schiavone

Mar 3rd 2010, 18:28

A big thankyou- and proset goes to the goverment. The old NCA Hangar was indeed falling into pieces and it needed a change. Medavia will surely be much more happy to make use of a new hangar and it can offer even further services to Aircraft who wish to hangrage their aircraft. I worked at Medavia for 5 years and i can say that the old NCA Hangar was indeed not very comfortable to work in, not to mention the old un-safe/un-reliable infrastructure. Now at least Medavia will have a new Hangar and the Infrastructure can be properly laid down by the concerned people (ex-colleagues). Goodluck goes to Medavia & SR. Hopefully we continue to see further investments like these. Joseph Muscat -- Affarijiet bhal dawn irridu naraw mhux qried/biki ... thanks. GRAZZI GONZI.

Andrew Cumbo

Mar 3rd 2010, 18:17

@Karl Abela & Mario Mercieca
Il- GWU u Partit Laburista qatt ma kienu u lanqas ha jkunu kontra investiment gdid li jikreja ix- xoghol f' pajjizna. Tafu min kien kontra ix- xoghol? Il- partit Nazjonalist ta' tmeninijiet meta kienu jsifru barra jwerwru u jpingu stampa kerha ta pajjizna lil- investituri Germanizi li kienu nteressati jivestu f' pajjizna. Dawn huma fatti li graw u hadd ma jista jineghom. Ghall informazjoni taghkhom il- Gvern Laburista ta 70 u 80 rnexilu jgib lejn pajjizna hafna fabbrikki li ghadhom maghna sa illum il- gurnata fosthom ST, Brandstatter (Playmobil) Carlo Gavazzi, Toly Products, Pharmamed illum Actavis, Merit illum Methode u hafna ohrajn. Dawn il- fabbriki huma xiehda ta kemm il- partit Laburista u GWU huma favur investiment gdid ghall pajjizna.

James Nicholl

Mar 3rd 2010, 17:44

Whilst every Investment bears fruit & hopefully jobs with suitable wages reflecting the Aviation Industry, & now that @ Malta International Airport a Hangar is to be constructed on Apron 4, therefore losing beneficial Parking Spaces, HOW ABOUT investing in a new Apron to cater up to Antonov A124's ( & all Code F Aircraft), & therefore AGAIN attracting these Heavylifts back to Malta, be it for tech stops or other services. At least this way, one can, not only HOPE & WAIT for aircraft to come ONLY Maintenance purposes, but for other services as well!

I Borg

Mar 3rd 2010, 17:07

@G Said - I appreciate your comments - as an aviation enthusiast myself, I d say an airfiled is always an airfield - something simply extraordinary - and not always easy to accept its loss. However Luqa airport is not Heathrow or Schipol - it can afford to host much more air traffic and the infrastructure is there.

clive borg

Mar 3rd 2010, 16:53

@ Karl Abela and Mario Mercieca

So your sort of saying we should all now start pursing a carrer in aviation maintenance now, and will be astonishing to pass the same saga when they was going to build smart city, everyone started to purse a carrer in IT and most of them are job less!

Do you think that with creating jobs it will remove the weight from our families, or on just a few members?

Do you think that all the jobs created will be exclusive to Maltese workers and none to foreign persons or vice versa?

And now do you think that by touching only a small part of the sector that is studying in aviation, will they people help the rest of the community that havent got high wages to pay their bills?

G Said

Mar 3rd 2010, 16:46

In retrospect, it would have been a good idea to maintain Hal Far as an operational airfield and to locate all these aviation-related industries over there, thus turning it into an industrial airfield, an alternative airfield (in case of emergency) and relieving Luqa from certain duties.

What we seem to have done is to have destroyed the airfield senselessly (and dare-I-say vindicatively) by building factories bang in the middle of the runways. Hal Far was in good condition as an airfield up to the early 80s, after which small factories were built on the edges of the runways, at least maintaining the runways themselves. It is only in the past few years (4 or 5 years), that the authorities have encouraged and approved the destruction of the runways themselves, thus ruining the airfield once and for all.

Ten points to all concerned for forethought!!!

Mario Mercieca

Mar 3rd 2010, 16:41

Sadly enough, labour (GWU) would probably have prefered if the money were used to subsidise those who waste electricity.

Karl Abela

Mar 3rd 2010, 16:28

This is what the Gonzi government is all about. Investment and creating jobs.

Sadly, no word of praise from GWU or labour...of course not.