The Prime Minister was right when he said that “the shipyards used to drain the country of €40 million a year”.

As we all know, after many years and millions of euros of subsidies they were privatised… and rightly so.

I am certain that he read your front page last Sunday which stated that “Air Malta’s losses this year are expected to be much worse than the €31 million deficit announced for the year ending March 2009”.

So, dear Prime Minister and Finance Minister… what are you going to do about this other bottomless pit which is putting a strain upon our economy, year in and year out?

Perhaps, this public entity should also be put to the highest bidder and privatised, or maybe Air Malta should join forces with some low-cost airline company, thus becoming more competitive and become more viable.

It is obvious that the exorbitant fares Air Malta charges are not helping it to meet its operating costs and to keep its head above water.

Your report also stated that “EU rules permit the granting of state aid to Air Malta as long as this is just a one-time opportunity”.

Therefore, how many more times are Maltese taxpayers going to fund the losses of Air Malta… maybe until such time that the EU slaps a hefty fine and further burden the public (and not the public servant in charge of the economy)?