Malta International Airport should not have been closed during last month's blackout as one of its runways remained fully functional throughout, an internal inquiry has revealed.

The report was drawn up after four flights were diverted and others remained grounded when the airport was closed by Malta Air Traffic Services for nearly two hours on August 12, during a nation-wide power cut.

Air Traffic head Carmel Vassallo had said the decision to close the airport was taken because lights surrounding the main runway were not working at the optimal level.

However the recently concluded inquiry found that while the main runway may have experienced problems, the secondary one was fully functional throughout the blackout.

The main runway suffered a 21-minute power outage at 9.31pm but power was restored to working order more than an hour before air traffic services ordered the closure. 

Asked for a reaction, Brigadier Vassallo stood by his decision to shut the airport.

“I was given advice by technical experts who raised concerns over the standard of the lighting of the airstrips. At the end of the day, a flight only leaves after being given clearance by the controller. The responsibility is mine,” he said, adding that he too wanted to hold talks with the airport to work better in the future. Brig. Vassallo said that at the time he also had concerns over the lighting quality of the auxiliary airstrip.

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