Of the 272 people employed with Air Malta between April 2013 and last month, 38 hailed from the eighth district, Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis said in answer to a PQ by Nationalist MP Robert Arrigo.

Mr Zammit Lewis was a candidate on this district.

He pointed out, however, that in the year before the general election, between January 2012 and March 2013, 52 people from that district were employed with the national airline when it fell under the political responsibility of former finance minister Tonio Fenech – who contests the same district.

Dr Zammit Lewis also said that no extra expenditure was incurred when trainee pilots’ definite contracts expired at the end of October.

During the summer they worked the same hours as permanent pilots. They were now all qualified to fly A320 aircraft and could be called upon to supplement permanent pilots if the need arose.

Contrary to the previous administration, which spent large sums of money on its CEO, management personnel and unnecessary consultancies, the Labour administration invested in its workers, he said.