Air Malta: evidence flight was held for pilots’ chief
Dominic Azzopardi. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi
Air Malta has “categorical documentary evidence” to back up a report that a flight was delayed for 30 minutes to wait for the Airline Pilots’ Association president to board.
The airline, which is investigating the incident, said yesterday it now wanted to appoint an independent external inquiry and would be calling on the association to agree to it. Its actions would then depend on the inquiry’s findings.
The incident was reported in the Sunday Times, which said the captain of the July 27 Milan-Malta flight ordered check-in to be reopened and the passengers’ air-bridge re-attached so that Alpa’s Dominic Azzopardi and his family could come aboard.
Air Malta said its evidence included third party electronic data gathered from the aircraft’s communications systems, computer logs at check-in and its ground handling partners in Milan.
It said Mr Azzopardi and family were travelling on rebated staff tickets.
“The airline will not accept justifications that these things happened in the past and cannot allow such delays that affect its on-time departure and arrival performance,” the airline said.
Mr Azzopardi has strongly denied being late for the flight, saying the gate was closed when he arrived and adding it was not uncommon for pilots to delay flights for grounded passengers.
Earlier, the association stood by Mr Azzopardi, even as more outraged passengers came forward yesterday.
It described the story as “a personal attack by Air Malta... posted in the media in an attempt to discredit Capt. Azzopardi”.
It said the report “did not portray the facts as they actually happened”, adding that this was a clear attempt at character assassination.
But more passengers on that aircraft have shared their experiences with The Times.
One Italian man who was on the flight, Alex Antignolo, said he was “disgusted” since he never experienced anything of the sort in his many years of travelling.
“I was coming to Malta for my holiday. The check-in was closed, the gates opened and we boarded the plane. Our seatbelts were fastened and we were getting ready for take-off.
“But all of a sudden the flight attendants opened the door again and we waited for 30 minutes,” he said.
He has not lodged a formal complaint with Air Malta but said there were many passengers, including several Italians, who were very angry about the incident.
Another passenger, who lodged a complaint with the airline after landing in Malta, said the delay had made him lose the first hour of a four-hour course, which cost his boss €400.
The man, who wished to remain anonymous although he is prepared to testify before the airline’s investigative board if summoned, said what happened made him feel inferior to other customers, even though his return flight had cost €500.
Alpa yesterday questioned the editorial decision to give the story so much prominence, adding: “Could the fact that Air Malta’s current chairman, Louis Farrugia, who sits on the Allied Newspaper’s board of directors, have anything to do with the matter?”
The pilots’ association said it had found the timing of the article “highly suspicious” since it only came a few days after it had registered an industrial dispute with the airline.
Blaming the article on the airline, the union said this kind of attitude only served to provoke and it shed light on the “dirty tactics” that Air Malta’s senior management was resorting to in an attempt to discredit the union.
It also said the inquiry was “marred” by the “biased... unwarranted and misleading media leak”.
The Forum group of trade unions, of which the pilots’ association forms part, said the story was an attempt to discredit the union and its president.
It hoped it was not “leaked” intentionally to create “a smoke-screen at such a delicate time for Air Malta”.
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c scudi
Dec 29th 2012, 13:46
This is a ridiculous waste of money and energy.As someone who spent his career in Aviation with a Major UK Airline,I know this sort of thing happened on different occasions.Of course,it is not the norm but not exactly serious.
Flights have been delayed to accomodate late passengers.A decision is normally taken between the Captain of the aircraft and ground handling.
Pietru Pawl Borg
Aug 21st 2012, 17:00
All you people moaning why flight waited, maybe one day the national airline will wait for you for a change and then you will appreciate. After all airmalta is the airline that cares. If we don't look at our interests who will? Maybe Ryanair who come here only, because they are getting their 60 million euros (at least because the exact figure is so astronomical that the minister concerned declined to answere a parlamantary question) yearly out of our taxes?
M. Cachia
Aug 21st 2012, 14:30
I cannot but emphasize the fact enough - check-in counters are only reopen upon instructions from the Airline Representative at outstations and after liaising with the Local Duty Manager!
It is simply a purely a commercial decision and no checking-in passenger, whoever that might be, can do that. It also stands to reason. This is the same like a shop customer asking the owner to re-open the outlet after having closed for the day and after doing so the shop owner blames the customer for having left him after shop hours! Once you decide to re-open than you have to accept what come with it.
This Air Malta mishap is purely an attempt to discredit Capt. Azzopprdi and nothing else!
He is a tough nut to crack!
Joe Morana
Aug 21st 2012, 14:24
In the US, where the airline industry thrives in a highly competitive environment, airlines are assessed on on-time departures as one component of a list of customer satisfaction expectations. I don't know if such is the case in Europe, but I do know Air Malta once claimed 'top prize" for the category of luggage delivery.
Air Malta has every right to publicise incidents such as these. It owes the flying public full disclosure. It is to be expected for the person(s) responsible to act 'the injured and innocent parties'. If the inquiry finds any of those involved to be at fault, then resignations or outright dismissal should be the order of the day.
Past incidents of having aircraft wait upon the pleasure of this and that VIP were one of the contributing factors of almost souding the death knell for Air Malta. Inexcusable and unprofessional behaviour on the part of certain individuals.
Kevin Whitehead
Aug 21st 2012, 12:30
They want to turn us into a low cost affair with this. A little fog will cancel the flight and the check in will close early with trumpets on arrival at the other end.
And this will be to the detriment of who??? THE PASSENGER.
Mr Victor G Mercieca
Aug 21st 2012, 12:22
It is the job & duty of TM Aviation as the controlling Authority for Aviation Safety & in this situation should issue a 'Red Card' to AirMalta current Management for publicly harassing it's very own flight crew on such a trivial matter....when very serious company 'policies' remain unresolved!
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Aug 21st 2012, 12:07
Air Malta should be onest and tell us how often flights are delayed for MPs, MEPs, bishops and other dignatories. Unless it does this, we have the right to be suspicious of Air malta's motives.
Philip Apap Bologna
Aug 21st 2012, 11:04
Anyone who understands the basics of airline safety will tell you that Air Malta’s management are continuing to demonstrate their incompetence in managing such a minor delay incident.
Intimidation and pressure is a very serious matter in aviation and one that can carry many very serious consequences. Hitting below the belt and bullying tactics is another matter, but sadly, this is characteristic of this new foreign management style we have to put up with for at least the next few months.
Let’s have all the necessary investigations we need but don’t mess with our safety or our airline’s integrity.
Peter Cagney
Aug 21st 2012, 12:19
What does safety have to do with this we ask?
This has to do with passengers having to wait for half an hour for a staff member who was late and left a plane load of passengers waiting for him.... and no apologies mind you.
Your comments about saftey are those below the belt!
Philip Apap Bologna
Aug 21st 2012, 19:33
Mr. Cagney, aviation is all about safety and how safety is managed effectively.
I would be more than pleased to recommend a number of interesting books on the subject or perhaps a very basic course for beginners on the responsibilities of those accountable for aviation safety management, if you are really interested. I am sure that afterwards, you will see that my comments were not aimed below the belt but at the negative or should I say ignorant attitudes of those who are supposedly accountable for safety.
George Joseph Cauchi
Aug 21st 2012, 09:52
I don't see why this fuss. A evening flight from Munich (last Saturday) was delayed leaving Munich then made a stopover at Catania Airport and the passengers left on board had to wait a extra half an hour on top of the 45 minutes stopover time to allow two passengers, who checked in late, to board the plain. In fact the pilot appologised over the air about this. It seems Air Malta has to look into this situation very carefully otherwise it will loose customers, full stop.
Please choose the reason of your report below: