Air Malta CEO Peter Davies is warning staff of the beleaguered airline that once the restructuring plan, awaiting approval in Brussels, goes through “it will be tough”.

“I can imagine life is somewhat frustrating and difficult for you at present given the financial uncertainty of the airline,” Mr Davies wrote in a staff memo seen by The Times.

He highlighted the challenges the airline industry faced in the past decade, including the September 11 attacks, rising oil prices and low-cost carriers.

“We live in an aviation industry that has radically changed and, to survive, Air Malta must change.

“We have no rear-view mirrors, we need to acknowledge the past but prepare for the future. That is life and we have to accept it,” he wrote.

Mr Davies said the first stage was to get approval from Brussels, then to start implementing the plan.

“It will be tough as we need to seek a reduction in the number of people working for Air Malta. That is unfortunate but our internal processes, what we do every day and the way we do them are out of date, expensive and not providing the right level of service for our passengers,” he stressed.

About 600 employees – half the workforce – are expected to be shed during the restructuring process. At the end of 2010, the European Commission accepted the government’s request to give Air Malta a €52 million loan to keep it flying.

Airline employees are expected to learn more about the company’s future as Mr Davies gives a comprehensive presentation on the airline’s future on June 24.

The airline will be streamlining its work, eliminating wastage and reviewing all its external contractors and “the way we spend cash, inside and outside the company”.

“We cannot do everything at once, so we will draw up a timetable, a roadmap that allows us to plan what we need to do, who is accountable for that and measure its progress,” the CEO told employees.

He announced the opening of a Restructuring Office headed by Ray Heart, who would be using “contractors who have the vital implementation programme skills in the airline industry” along with the trade unions and employees.