The  Air Malta restructuring plan presented to the European Commission on Monday was not changed since it was discussed in the restructuring committee appointed for this aim, the Finance Ministry said this afternoon.

It said in a statement that stakeholders had the opportunity to take part in the preparation of the plan.

The ministry was replying to a statement by the Labour Party issued earlier today which said that the final plan was not discussed in the committee, which last met a month ago.  It said this confirmed that the steering committee was just a screen and not interested in genuine consultation within it.

But the ministry said that in the past month, the government discussed the plan with the European Commission to ensure that it was in line with European legal parameters.

It said that should the European Commission request strategic changes to be made to the plan, the government would again discuss it in the committee.

The government said that, yet again, the opposition was showing that its only interest in the process was to cast doubts and play for the gallery.

The government's interest was to ensure a strong future for Air Malta fot the benefit of the of the economic sectors and the thousands of workers whose job depended on teh Airline's future.