Air Malta has denied claims that negotiations over a new collective agreement for cabin crew are at a standstill.

Air Malta said that during a meeting on Friday afternoon it was agreed that negotiations would continue and a meeting was scheduled for Tuesday. The airline therefore expressed surprise at a statement by the Union of Cabin Crew stating that they will be restricting in-flight services onboard Air Malta flights as from tomorrow.

Air Malta described the directive as unreasonable and said that apart from causing in-flight service disruptions to its passengers, it came at a sensitive time when tourism arrivals to Malta were down due to the recession.

The airline said it was reserving its rights to protect its interests, the interests of its employees and customers.

It reassured clients that safety on board would not be affected and that it was doing its utmost to minimise inconvenience.