Air Malta chairman Maria Micallef was three times as good as former chairman Peter Davies, Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis said today.
In a brief intervention on the airline during his speech on the Budget estimates for tourism morning, he referred to a statement by former Minister Tonio Fenech earlier who defended his decision to appoint Mr Davies to head Air Malta saying there was no similarly experienced Maltese national to lead the airline's restructuring process at the time.
He said that three people had applied to be considered for the post, one wanted €1million, another wanted €700,000 and Peter Davies, who asked for €450,000.
Dr Zammit Lewis denied that this government considered one’s political beliefs in its appointments at the airline and mentioned a list of people who, he said, were surely not PL sympathisers but were kept or taken on by the airline because the government believed in their abilities.
Mr Fenech had said that the airline’s restructuring had been on track under the previous government and this had been confirmed by former CEO Ray Fenech, who was appointed by Karmenu Vella.
The airline now had its third CEO under this legislature and the Opposition was preoccupied and had the duty to express its concern.
He accused the airline’s current chairman of confusing minds when he amalgamated restructuring and operational figures. Restructuring costs could not remain unchanged year after year – which meant that Air Malta’s losses had actually increased.
Mr Fenech said the government opted not to involve the Opposition and now it expected it to keep its mind shut. The Opposition wanted to be responsible but it could not be so in the dark.
Mr Fenech encouraged the minister to involve the Opposition, which, he said, had a lot of questions about what was taking place.
Opposition MP Robert Arrigo said the government was increasing the people’s concern about the future of Air Malta by not giving any information on developments.
He noted that the government did not have a mandate to sell Air Malta.
The Opposition, he said, had the right to ask questions on behalf of the people.
Speaking on tourism in general, Dr Zammit Lewis said that the government had invested €1 million more on route development.
The investment was never enough but the government was working with the Malta Tourism Authority to exploit the available funds and make a success out of them.
He said that public consultation on a new tourism policy would start in January for the policy and strategic vision to be in place by March.
The minister said that three new tourist information offices would be opening next year, in Marsaxlokk, Bugibba and Sliema.