Pilots are unfazed by mounting criticism over their decision to ground Air Malta’s fleet on July 16 and are insisting they will go ahead with a strike unless the government meets their demands.

In the face of warnings yesterday by the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association and the Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry that strike action was “damaging” to the economy, Airline Pilots Association president Domenic Azzopardi said he was not interested in what they had to say. “I am only interested in what management and the government have to say but, until now, they have not addressed our concerns,” he said.

In a meeting with management on Tuesday, he added, the company would not clarify how many pilots would lose their job and, yet, 12 pilots trained by Air Malta who were engaged on temporary contracts were informed their contracts would not be renewed.

“They did not give us details and the only figure to date that we know of is the one leaked by The Sunday Times,” Capt. Azzopardi said.

A leaked draft of the Ernst and Young restructuring plan spoke of 511 redundancies, including 57 pilots. When contacted, an Air Malta spokesman said the company did not want to discuss these matters in public.

On Tuesday, pilots overwhelmingly voted for industrial action to be taken including suspension of service.

“Hoteliers simply want Ryanair and I am informed that the government has already agreed to give them the Stansted and Treviso routes behind our back,” Capt. Azzopardi said.

According to the draft restructuring plan, Air Malta suffered as “a direct consequence” of the introduction of low-cost carriers on the UK routes but the airline’s management was “unable to react” to the competition.

Capt. Azzopardi was also unperturbed by the Finance Ministry’s warning that strike action could jeopardise the restructuring process and lead to the airline’s bankruptcy because the €52 million loan approved by Parliament would soon be exhausted.

“This is not the first time the minister has told us that Air Malta is bankrupt.

“He should be telling us instead where the €52 million went,” he said.

He reiterated the pilots’ demands for Air Malta to renegotiate third party contracts before sacking workers, including contracts with Malta International Airport. “It does not make sense for Air Malta to be renting out a briefing room for pilots at MIA for €375,000 a year,” he said.

Pilots have also been asking for MIA to cut passenger charges and when asked what he expected Air Malta to do, Capt. Azzopardi said responsibility rested with the government. “The government owns Air Malta and the company does whatever the government says. On the other hand, even if MIA is a private company it enjoys a monopoly and so we want to see the political will to sort out this issue,” he said, calling for all managers in place since 2004 at Air Malta to be sacked.

The pilots’ association will be leading a protest march in Valletta on July 15, starting from St George’s Square and heading for Castille, where the Prime Minister’s office is situated. It has invited other unions to join.

“Unless things change we will ground flights from midnight to midnight between July 15 and 16 but I do not exclude lengthier strike action,” Capt. Azzopardi insisted.

The prospect of industrial strife has hoteliers worried since it comes at the peak of the tourism season.

MHRA president George Micallef said grounding flights for a day was a problem but the bigger issue was the uncertainty this caused among tourists, even those who were planning to visit Malta on other days. Strike action, he added, would not only damage the airline but also threaten the jobs of thousands in the tourism sector.

While urging all stakeholders to work together to put Air Malta on a sure footing, the MHRA criticised the government for keeping most of the interested parties in the dark about the restructuring process.

Mr Micallef accused politicians of interfering in the airline’s management decisions over the years but stressed that Air Malta not only had to survive but also maintain its seat capacity at levels similar to today's.