Former Air Malta CEO Peter Davies. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

Air Malta’s management yesterday took issue with comments made by former CEO Peter Davies describing his statement that the national airline was “on track” with the restructuring plan as “inaccurate”.

“The company has no intention to enter in any issue with its former CEO... however, we must point out that his comments regarding the audited financials of the company and the deviation from the restructuring plan were not accurate,” the Welshman’s successor, Philip Micallef, said.

When asked to point out the “inaccuracy” in Mr Davies statement, an airline spokesman said the company’s financial results would be published during the annual general meeting at the end of the month.

Speaking to The Sunday Times of Malta, Mr Davies defended his track record with the airline, saying the finances were on target up to the point of his departure last May. Mr Davies was reacting to comments made by Air Malta chairwoman Maria Micallef who, in an interview with The Sunday Times of Malta, acknowledged that the airline was no longer on course with the five-year restructuring plan approved by the European Union.

The company has no intention to enter in any issue with its former CEO

In spite of the clarification, Mr Micallef said he agreed with Mr Davies that “there is no reason why the company should not manage to reach its restructuring targets [to post a profit] by 2016”.

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil yesterday raised concerns over the state of the airline.

He argued during an interview on the Nationalist Party’s radio station that the previous administration had drawn up a structured plan but, since taking office last year, Labour had repeatedly meddled with the top management structure, making multiple changes.

Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis, who is responsible for the airline, fired back, insisting the company planned to finalise the restructuring plan, agreed upon with the European Commission, by 2016.

He accused Dr Busuttil of treating the issue like a political football in an attempt to score political points before blaming lethargic Nationalist administrations for the current situation.