Commission urged to heed airline’s importance

The Airline Pilots Association has called on the European Commission to consider Air Malta’s importance for the national economy when it takes decisions about the airline’s restructuring plan.

In its eight-page document submitted in response to the Commission’s report on state aid for the national airline, ALPA urged the EU to be fair when taking a decision on whether Air Malta should be subsidised as part of the restructuring plan. After several years in the red, a restructuring plan for the airline is currently under review by the European Commission. A decision on whether to approve the plan and the accompanying multi-million euro state aid is expected sometime around June.

ALPA is insisting that before any compensatory measures are taken, such as forced reduction in routes, the Commission should consider a number of disadvantages stemming from Air Malta’s market location and size. The report added that since Air Malta is primarily committed to the Maltese economy, the airline serves routes that are more costly to operate because of the relatively small and seasonal markets. Forcing Air Malta to reduce its routes would only make the airline more vulnerable.

The association said that additional restrictions imposed by the Commission might hinder the free movement of people, goods and services within the EU, something which goes against the primary objectives of the union’s charter.