The Finance Minister yesterday said he would want to see a Maltese person heading the national airline “just for the sake of it”.

Tonio Fenech was responding to a story in the Labour Party’s Sunday newspaper Kull Ħadd which reported him saying during a meeting on the airline’s future that he would not employ a “Maltese idiot” (ċuċ Malti) to head the beleaguered airline.

Yesterday, the Finance Minister, who is politically responsible for Air Malta, said he was quoted out of context.

“I did use the word ‘idiot’, but what I meant was that I would not have an idiot as CEO just because he is Maltese.

“If someone can present me with someone who oversaw the restructuring of an airline, I would take him on tomorrow... the reality is that I don’t think there is such a person, so I would rather have someone with experience.”

Mr Fenech was answering questions by Andrew Azzopardi on yesterday’s radio show Għandi X’ Ngħid which dealt with the future of Air Malta.

The government is believed to be negotiating a package with a foreign candidate for the post of CEO but has so far refused divulge any details.

The airline’s CEO, Joe Cappello, remains on long leave and has not been taking part in the of the steering committee meetings, which was set up to discuss the future of the airline.

The carrier posted a loss of €31 million in 2009 and last December the government was forced to seek EU permission to grant the airline a €52 million loan so it could keep flying, anticipating bigger losses for 2010.

But that loan will only last till May 15, by which time the company should be restructured to be able to operate profitably.

Mr Fenech again refused to go into the restructuring plan under discussion, saying any details emerging at this stage would be pounced upon by competitors. However, he confirmed the need for Air Malta to shed employees.

The General Workers’ Union has said the government is proposing to halve their airline’s 1,200-strong workforce.

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