The extraordinarily high level of sickness reported by pilots at Air Malta today affected more than 2,000 passengers, who experienced cancellations or flight delays of up to five hours and cost the airline in excess of €500,000, Air Malta said this evening.
Saying it was working hard to minimise disruptions, the airline apologised to customers for the inconvenience caused. The extra costs, it said, include denied boarding compensation, alternative travel arrangements, refreshments, land transfers and hotel accommodation.
Earlier today, Air Malta reported that 25 pilots had reported sick, half the number due to fly today. Their number had been 18 in the morning.
The pilots’ absence caused the airline to cancel its flights to Benghazi, Milan and Newcastle while flights to Tel Aviv, Paris Orly, Cardiff, Budapest, Frankfurt, Catania and Vienna were delayed. The delays ranged from just over five hours in the case of the Tel Aviv flight, to two-and-a-half hours for the Cardiff flight.
It said that other flights may be affected if more pilots called in sick.
The airline pilots association (ALPA) afternoon denied that this was unofficial industrial action.
It in a statement at 4pm that pilots on sick leave were still waiting for company doctors to verify their sickness. "If Air Malta had suspects foul play, it should send its own doctors immediately."
However, Air Malta said that contrary to Alpa’s assertion, its doctors were performing a medical visit to each pilot who reported sick to understand which illnesses were in circulation.
Alpa spokesman Dominic Azzopardi said the union was not involved in what had taken place. However, the pilots' shortage had long been felt and what had taken place was more likely the result of mismanagement. Last year Air Malta had 17 more pilots than at present, he said.
Air Malta said that it was disturbing that nearly 40 per cent of the pilots normally available to operate a day’s flights were ‘sick’.
“Either Malta has been hit by a sudden epidemic or other forces are at work,” it said.
CEO Peter Davies said: “either Malta has been hit by a sudden epidemic or other forces are at work.”
Air Malta has 110 pilots. The pilots' union last month registered an industrial dispute, saying the airline was cancelling pilots' leave because of a shortage of pilots. The airline insisted it had enough pilots. The union was not replying to questions this morning.
In its statement, Alpa said that from preliminary and very limited information it had, it did not seem sickness was the only reason as to why flights were cancelled or delayed.
Alpa said that as early as yesterday afternoon several of today’s flights had missing crew and Air Malta did not call in crew on standby.
The union said that both the Captain and First Officer of the cancelled Milan flight were delayed at London Heathrow yesterday and had to be removed from the Milan flight.
Alpa said that the Captain on today’s London Gatwick flight was removed by Air Malta and another two captains were placed on the flight.
“What is worrying is that Air Malta does not know why or who removed him from this flight. The Captain himself advised Air Malta about the situation and the same captain later operated another flight.”
Alpa said that the crew on the Cardiff flight could not operate in line with the original schedule because it conflicted with the previous rostered flight.
Further crew disruptions occurred because crew were routinely scheduled in a tight configuration meaning that if they are were from standby or if a flight is delayed, a large knock-on effect would cause havoc to the Air Malta schedule.
Alpa said that a third of a pilot’s salary depended on his flying hours, therefore pilots on sick leave had a financial penalty
All pilots on sick-leave were required to produce a medical certificate and the company could also send its own doctors.
Alpa said it was concerned about the abnormal amount of sick leave taken by pilots this month and would investigate if there was any link to fatigue induced sickness.
In a statement, the Malta Employers Association described the manner in which pilots reported sick as "unacceptable".
"What is Air Malta facing, an outbreak of a disease or unofficial industrial action ordered by ALPA (the Pilots’ Union)? Could it be that the real ailment is an allergy to the civilised practice of resolving industrial disputes through proper channels, without jeopardising the running of an enterprise?"
MEA called on ALPA to distance itself from possible sick leave abuse. The pilots' action, it said, appeared to be abusive and was "utterly disruptive and irresponsible.
"It tarnishes the image of the company they work for, placing at risk the jobs of all Air Malta employees. Furthermore the pilots disregarded the welfare of thousands of passengers who were left stranded due to cancelled flights," MEA said.