There are contrasting views on whether the development of a site within the airport perimeter would impact operations, with Malta International Airport saying it would not in any way restrict development, but sources insisting that it would.

The government awarded the Park 4 site – which is also used for the annual air show – to Malta Industrial Parks (MIP) for development in 2010 and it appears that the project may go ahead in a year or so.

“The decision to lease Park 4 to MIP was taken after serious consideration of the airport’s airside masterplan, which includes the capacity of taxiways, runways, aprons and ground services equipment staging areas.

“The airport’s core business is commercial aviation and we would avoid at all costs any development that could impinge on the airport’s future growth,” an MIA spokesman told The Business Observer.

When asked to comment, a spokesman for Malta Industrial Parks (MIP) said: “Your questions cannot be answered in a simplistic manner since requirements do change and we have to be flexible.

“Aviation is an area that has been targeted by government as offering excellent opportunities for sustainable growth. Indeed the interest being shown by investors in this sector is extremely encouraging. MIP has been very proactive in this regard and is responding to the needs in a timely manner,” he said.

The decision to lease Park 4 to MIP was taken after serious consideration of the airport’s airside masterplan

“When doing this we take into consideration all the stakeholders’ interests and work closely with all stakeholders concerned.

“The process of planning and execution is often not a short one and many times the needs and requirements of investors change from the original request to the final requirement. MIP seeks to respond to these changed requirements and we maintain our business-friendly approach at all times.

“What must be stressed is that MIP will seek to accommodate all stakeholders’ concerns while ensuring that sustainable development in areas of high national importance are not impeded.”

Some problems can be solved

However, well-informed sources believe MIA could run out of space to park aircraft if MIP proceeds with plans to develop a hangar.

“The problem is that Park 4 is the second largest park after Park 9 (opposite the terminal). There is already a shortage of parking. Imagine what would happen if aviation takes off the way it is being forecast,” the sources said, noting that there were nearly 35,000 aircraft movements in 2013.

Limited aircraft parking at the airport is not helped by the absence of ‘tractors’ to manoeuvre planes, which means that they require a much larger turning circle. Creating more parking would also have to be carefully scrutinised because of its impact on air navigation. Park 9 could be extended sideways, and there is also an area by the Safi Aviation Park which could be developed, the sources said.

This issue could escalate if aircraft movements keep increasing. The sources said that because there is no taxiway adjacent to the runway (see map) when a large aircraft overshoots the terminal and needs to get back to Park 9, it must do so on the runway itself.

“This means that other aircraft cannot land while it is manoeuvring, taking up valuable time,” the sources said.

Another issue affects business aviation, which is increasing dramatically: around 1,200 jets a year up from 700 three years ago. Businessmen who save an hour by travelling on a private jet are upset when they find they must wait half an hour at the traffic lights to cross the secondary runway.

The sources said that there were a number of solutions. There is a perimeter road that goes around the runway but this would need to be widened – at MIA’s expense. A tunnel under the runway would be another option – but this would cost over a million euro, according to the sources, and would probably also have to be paid for by MIA.

There is a much more straightforward compromise being proposed. At the moment, there is only one “threshold” marked on the runway – meaning that it must be closed whenever an aircraft is landing or taking off. However, the sources said that while large, commercial aircraft require the existing threshold, smaller aircraft like business jets and flight academy planes could have a threshold on the other side of the traffic lights – effectively creating a ‘shorter’ runway for them.

“Since this runway is only used by commercial aircraft in specific circumstances – such as when there is a strong northeasterly wind – doing this would mean that the traffic lights would be green 90 per cent of the time,” the sources explained, adding that it would require procedural changes to air navigation procedures.

Unless the right decisions are taken now, we could face real problems in the future

This would be a relief not only to businessmen but also to Enemalta, whose fuel trucks also get stuck.

“Enemalta’s Petroleum Division is working to allocate the necessary investments to improve the quality and efficiency of all its services, including the supply of aviation fuels at Malta International Airport. A number of meetings were held about this matter with the parties involved. Discussions are still ongoing,” a spokesman for the corporation said.

Apart from space for aircraft parking, the increase in business aviation companies – there are now 22 licensed companies – means space is also needed for their operations. The old Civil Aviation Directorate is about to be demolished but there are also around nine units on the Ħal-Farruġ side which are used for non-aviation purposes, ranging from the area that used to be taken up by the Valletta Football Club to a drug rehabilitation centre.

The lack of a civil aviation authority is also being felt as the sector needs a strong regulator, with the sources warning that more pressure needs to be put to bear on MIA to invest on airside facilities, including runway maintenance and upgrades.

The authority was Karmenu Vella’s baby but when he was nominated as a Commissioner everything ground to a halt.

“Let me give you just one example of the difficulty in getting anything done... There is a procedural ‘restriction’ in place because of overgrown trees on private property beyond the runway and, for a whole year, no one has actually done anything to get them trimmed.

These are problems which can be solved very easily. The airport is a vital part of our infrastructure but unless the right decisions are taken now, we could face real problems in the future.”