The Labour Party has called on the government to say whether it is negotiating with low cost carriers to open new routes including Stansted airport outside London that could impact Air Malta.

“The government should declare what its tourism strategy is and the role it envisages for low cost carriers,” Labour tourism spokesman Gavin Gulia said.

He asked whether any studies were being conducted to evaluate the impact new routes operated by low cost airlines would have on Air Malta.

“The government should say whether the negotiations on routes like Stansted were being conducted because Air Malta is expected to reduce its operations on a number of vital destinations,” Dr Gulia said.

The PL believed that low cost carriers should operate on new routes that generated new traffic to Malta, he added, rather than routes where it was likely for existing passenger traffic to shift from one airline to another.

“The government has to clarify whether Air Malta’s restructuring process was moving along separately from the discussions with low cost carriers because there was need for greater coordination between the two,” Dr Gulia said.

In a brief reply, the government the opposition for being “insensitive” at this delicate moment.

“The opposition was present in Air Malta’s restructuring committee and should appreciate the sensitivity required at this point in time and the importance that everyone safeguards the national interest,” the government said without giving any indication whether negotiations were underway with low cost carriers.