Air Malta employees – from pilots to part-time staff – are increasingly concerned about their future, especially in view of what they deem to be mixed messages coming from the airline.

Following reports in The Sunday Times of Malta that the government is in talks with Turkish Airlines over Air Malta’s possible privatisation and further reducing the fleet, unions and employees have spoken of rising tension within the company.

“The chairman told us directly that the company will be reducing its [10-aircraft] fleet by up to four planes,” a senior pilot said.

“It seems that the decision has been taken and it’s now a matter of implementation. Although the company is insisting there will be no forced layoffs, we are very concerned about the airline’s future.”

Another captain, who has been flying Air Malta’s aircraft for the past 20 years, said: “We are bracing ourselves for the worst, because it is evident that competition has dealt us a big blow and the company cannot survive in its present form.”

However, an airline spokesman told Times of Malta that the management was analysing its network to see whether it could fly more efficiently with the same capacity, such as by doing aircraft maintenance at night or adjusting time slots.

“Ultimately, the main objective of the management is to lease the number of planes it needs to meet the airline’s demand.”

More on Times of Malta and the e-paper on timesofmalta.com 

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