Although Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis has not confirmed that Air Malta is having talks with Turkish Airlines over the possibility of a strategic alliance, he has made it clear that the future for the Maltese carrier is to be part of a larger alliance.

This was the main argument made by this newspaper only last month when it said that even if Air Malta does return to profit by March next year, the target date set for its recovery, it would still make sense for it to take a long-term view and negotiate a strategic alliance with another airline.

In an interview with The Sunday Times of Malta, the minister made a number of categorical points about what is being done at Air Malta. Stressing that its business model has to change, he said the airline was examining “all options for cooperation”.

Again confirming what the Prime Minister has declared several times in the past, that the government intends to retain absolute control, the minister said that, like other airlines, Air Malta was going through difficulties and was engaged in talks with various airlines in the bid to work out a cooperation alliance.

As he remarked, an alliance or partnership does not necessarily have to include the acquisition of equity. This may well be the case but if a renowned, larger air carrier were to acquire some equity in Air Malta, it would make it feel more committed towards the success of the venture.

So, while, as the minister argued, taking up equity may not be absolutely necessary, it should not be left out of the equation in the talks being held.

But, at least, Malta now knows exactly what the way forward is for its national airline. Another point made by the tourism minister in his review is that Air Malta is determined to push through with the planned changes to ensure that the airline becomes competitive.

In the light of the strong competition offered by the low cost airlines, this is easier said than done but there is really no option. Giving one example of what can be done, he said that the renegotiation of the catering contract meant that the airline saved €9 million in 27 months. Although this may not appear to be a large sum within the context of airline finance, it is not to be sniffed at either.

Restructuring generally involves taking what the minister called unpopular decisions. Hopefully, for the sake of the workers themselves, politicians finding themselves at the helm have now learned the lesson from past mistakes when State enterprises were considered as theirs to fill up with people loyal to their political interests.

Air Malta was one such enterprise that was overloaded with manpower that shackled its efficiency and eventually led, together with other wrong moves costing the airline millions of euros, to the state it found itself in when it had to be given massive state aid for restructuring.

The main target now, as the minister has put it, is for the airline to generate enough cash flow to operate without government help. That was why, he quickly added, they were focusing on bringing about greater fleet efficiency.

The clock is now ticking fast. Come March next year, the European Commission may not be coming here with a checklist to see what has been done or not, as the minister was reported saying, but even so the airline will have to deliver on its commitment.